Strongest Storm, Book Four: Storm
by Come to the Well
Summary: Stormstar is now leader, but the darkness is only just beginning. As time passes she begins to realize that the shadows aren't the only thing to fear. StarClan has been keeping secrets from her, and it is time to face the oncoming storm. Sequel to Darkest Shadows.
1. Ceremonies, and more ceremonies!

**AN: Here's the beginning of the next book, Storm! There are spoilers in the allegiance list just to warn you. Chapter one is down below in case you don't believe me!**

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**Allegiances**

_**ThunderClan**_

**Leader:** _Stormstar- _silver, black and gray she-cat with green eyes

**Deputy:** _Brackenfur_- golden brown tabby tom

**Medicine Cat:** _Leafpelt_- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Cedarpaw**

**Warriors:**

_Mousefur-_ small dusky brown she-cat

_Dustpelt-_ dark brown tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Flamepaw**

_Sandstorm_- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

_Longtail-_ pale tabby tom with dark black stripes  
**Apprentice: Aspenpaw**

_Cloudtail-_ long-haired white tom with blue eyes

_Brightheart_- white she-cat with ginger patches

_Ashfur-_ gray tom (with lighter flecks) with dark blue eyes

_Brambleclaw-_ dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

_Rainstorm_- dark gray tom with blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Honeypaw**

_Sootpelt_- lighter gray tom with amber eyes

_Sorreltail_- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

_Snowstorm_- white she-cat with blue eyes

_Larchwing_- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

_Birchnose_- light brown tabby tom

**Apprentices:**

_Flamepaw_- dark ginger tom with amber eyes

_Aspenpaw_- tortoiseshell and ginger she-cat with amber eyes

_Cedarpaw_- pale ginger tom with green eyes

_Honeypaw_- golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

_Ferncloud- _speckled pale gray she-cat with green eyes

_Squirreltail_- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes, mother of Brambleclaw's kits; Shalekit, Emberkit and Leafkit; nursing Frozenkit, Echokit and Riverkit

_Whiteleaf_- white she-cat with green eyes, expecting

**Elders:**

_Goldenflower-_ pale ginger she-cat

_Frostfur-_ white she-cat with blue eyes

**Kits:**

_Shalekit_- dark ginger tom with green eyes

_Emberkit_- ginger-brown she-cat with amber eyes

_Leafkit_- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

_Frozenkit_- dark gray she-cat with silver-tipped paws and yellow eyes

_Echokit_- lighter gray she-cat with yellow eyes

_Riverkit_- dark brown she-cat with black stripes along her back; has blue eyes

_**ShadowClan**_

**Leader:** _Blackstar-_ large white tom with huge jet black paws

**Deputy:** _Rowanclaw- _ginger she-cat

**Medicine Cat:** _Littlecloud-_ very small tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Rockfur**

**Warriors:**

_Oakfur-_ small brown tom  
**Apprentice: Stonepaw**

_Pinepelt_- gray she-cat with green eyes

_Smokefrost_- gray and black tom with blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Olivepaw**

_Talonclaw_- pale tabby tom with blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Branchpaw**

_Lilacpool_- pale gray she-cat with green eyes

_Flyheart_- long-haired gray tom with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

_Rockfur_- dark gray tom with yellow eyes

_Olivepaw_- light brown she-cat with amber eyes

_Stonepaw_- gray and brown tabby tom

_Branchpaw_- light brown tabby tom

**Queens:**

_Tawnypelt_- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, mother of Lizardkit, Shrewkit and Hollowkit

**Kits:**

_Lizardkit_- pale brown she-cat with amber eyes

_Shrewkit_- light brown tom with patches of ginger in his fur

_Hollowkit_- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**WindClan**

**Leader:** _Mudstar-_ mottled dark brown tom

**Deputy:**_ Tornear_- tabby tom

**Medicine Cat:** _Barkface-_ brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Galepaw**

**Warriors:**

_Onewhisker-_ brown tabby tom

_Whitetail_- small white she-cat

_Milkfeather-_ creamy brown she-cat with blue eyes

_Crowflight_- dark gray tom with blue eyes

_Harewhisker_- brown and white tom

_Swiftbreeze_- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

_Shadowpelt_- badly scarred dark gray, almost black tom with amber eyes

_Weaselfur_- ginger and white tom

_Deerleap_- long-legged light brown tom

_Lilytail_- pale gray she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

_Galepaw_- pale gray tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens:**

_Morningflower-_ tortoiseshell she-cat, mother of Wingkit, Amberkit and Dustkit

_Tanglefur_- long-haired tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Kits:**

_Wingkit_- tabby she-cat with amber eyes

_Amberkit_- golden brown she-cat with amber eyes

_Dustkit_- light brown flecked tom with yellow eyes

**RiverClan**

**Leader:** _Mistystar_- gray she-cat with blue eyes

**Deputy:** Hawkfrost- dark brown tom with a white underbelly and blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Pebblepaw**

**Medicine Cat:** _Mudfur-_ long-haired light brown tom  
**Apprentice: Robinwing**

**Warriors:**

_Stormfur-_ dark gray tom with yellow eyes

_Sasha-_ brown and white she-cat with blue eyes; former rogue

_Mothpool_- dappled golden she-cat with white paws, tail and muzzle with blue eyes

_Hawkfrost_- dark brown tom with a white underbelly and blue eyes

_Frogpelt_- black tom with amber eyes

_Beaverclaw_- huge tabby tom with amber eyes

_Minnowtail_- dark gray and white she-cat

_Beechfur_- light brown tabby tom

_Robinwing_- tan colored tom

**Queens:**

_Feathertail_- silver tabby she-cat with green eyes; mother of Frogpelt's kits; Silverkit and Badgerkit, nursing Ravenkit

_Mosspelt_- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Foxkit, Thornkit and Sandkit

**Apprentices:**

_Pebblepaw_- mottled tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Kits:**

_Ravenkit_- black she-cat with splotches of brown in her fur; has green eyes

_Silverkit_- pale gray she-cat with black paws and green eyes

_Badgerkit_- black and white tom with amber eyes

_Foxkit_- ginger she-cat with blue eyes

_Thornkit_- dark brown tom with amber eyes

_Sandkit_- pale ginger tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

_Dawnflower_- pale gray she-cat

**Cats Outside Clans**

_Barely_- black and white tom; a loner

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**Chapter 1**

Stormstar woke with a start. Her claws were grinding against the cold stone, and she wanted to get out as quickly as possible. She had received her nine lives. But something felt off. She could see through the darkness and saw that Leafpelt was watching her curiously.

"Don't tell anyone what you saw," the medicine cat meowed as if she had read what Stormstar was about to do.

The black, silver and gray tabby stared at Leafpelt before nodding in agreement. That seemed fair. She allowed Leafpelt to take the lead and thought about what had happened during her leadership ceremony. She had seen Magnolia and Ravenheart. Both cats had gone to StarClan.

_Why did my mother join StarClan_? she wondered when they padded through the tunnels.

Silence passed between the two as Stormstar felt warm air greet her. Dawn was slowly approaching. She had to think of who would become her new deputy before moonhigh. She also had to give Larchpaw and Birchpaw their warrior ceremonies. They were long overdue. And Sorreltail's kits were ready to become apprentices.

Leafpelt's tail was constantly flicking as she led Stormstar back to camp. They had left Highstones behind back to the comfort of the forest. No WindClan cats had stopped them, much to Stormstar's surprise. They were left to journey through the forest in peace.

When they reached camp Stormstar was greeted with mews of excitement and sadness.

"You're back!" Larchpaw nearly tackled her to the ground. Stormstar purred in amusement and pushed her apprentice off. "My mentor is the leader now!"

"Shut up mousebrain," Birchpaw grumbled irritably. Stormstar cuffed him over the ears before she bounded over to the Highrock. Her movements however were stopped when Goldenflower approached her.

The pale ginger elder had never paid much attention to her during deputyship. Stormstar ducked her head just the same. Goldenflower was an elder and well respected within the Clan. Her son, Brambleclaw, was one of the Clan's strongest warriors.

"Speckletail and Dappletail passed away while you were gone," Goldenflower rasped. "They died in their sleep." She glanced at Leafpelt, as if begging the medicine cat to bring them back to life. Leafpelt looked just as shocked when she stared at her paws.

"I'm sorry. No herb can cure old age," she whispered.

Goldenflower nodded sadly. "They lived a long and prosperous life," she murmured. "They deserve to join StarClan in peace."

Stormstar glanced at the elder before jumping onto the Highrock. It felt strange standing up here. Just a couple of days ago Firestar had held a Clan meeting here. Now she was the one calling for a meeting, about to name her new deputy and a few other ceremonies.

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" She felt strange once more announcing those words. Cats began to gather around her willingly this time. "I have thought long and hard about who will be my deputy. I say these words before the spirit of Firestar so that he hear and approve my choice. Brackenfur will be my deputy."

Brackenfur stared at Stormstar as if she had grown wings. His eyes were as wide as moons when Sorreltail pressed against him, and his kits bounced along his paws.

"I... I don't know what to say," he managed to sputter out. "But I _do_ know that I will do my best as your deputy."

"Brackenfur! Brackenfur!" The Clan cheered his name, and Stormstar knew that she had made the right choice. Brackenfur was a popular cat with both apprentices and warriors. He would make a fine leader when the time came.

"And there are also a couple of more things I would like to do," Stormstar continued the meeting when the chanting died down. "Two apprentices are more than ready to become warriors, and there are four kits who are ready to become apprentices." Sorreltail's kits stared at her in disbelief before letting out mewls of excitement. "I, Stormstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors so that they may look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Birchpaw, Larchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

Larchpaw's eyes glowed before she answered confidently, "I do."

"I do," Birchpaw mewed in a softer voice.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Birchpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Birchnose. StarClan honors you for your courage and stamina, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan."

The light brown tabby's eyes glowed when she jumped down to press her nose against his forehead. Again she felt strange when he licked her shoulder out of respect.

"Larchpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Larchwing. StarClan honors you for your bravery and fighting skills, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan."

She could tell that Larchwing was trying out her new name. Amusement rose within Stormstar's chest when she touched her former apprentice's forehead. This was typical of Larchwing. The young cat was always trying to prove herself, and this was one of her moments.

"Birchnose! Larchwing! Birchnose! Larchwing!" Once again the Clan cheered their names like they had with Brackenfur.

Stormstar nodded in approval and returned to her post on the Highrock. "And finally, there are four kits who are ready to become apprentices. Come forward you four." She waved her tail like Firestar had done seasons before. All four of them stumbled forward, and she suppressed a purr of amusement. "By naming apprentices we show that our Clan will remain strong. Flamekit, until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Flamepaw. Dustpelt, you are ready for an apprentice. You trained both Ashfur and Squirreltail into fine warriors, and I expect you to continue this training with Flamepaw."

Dustpelt looked surprised when she chose him as a mentor. Flamepaw needed someone who was both patient and stern with apprentices. She knew that Dustpelt was the perfect choice.

"Aspenkit, until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Aspenpaw. Longtail, you are ready for an apprentice. You have not yet mentored an apprentice, but you have proven yourself time and time again. I expect you to pass on what you have learned to Aspenpaw."

The pale tabby dipped his head respectfully when he touched noses with Aspenpaw. Pride gleamed within his eyes when he led her back to the crowd. Of all the cats in the Clan Longtail deserved an apprentice the most.

"Cedarkit, is it your wish to train as a medicine cat, and take on the responsibilities of healing the Clan?" Stormstar knew that Cedarkit had wanted to become Leafpelt's apprentice for some time now. The medicine cat was staring at Cedarkit as if she expected him to protest.

"It is," Cedarkit mewed.

"Then I expect Leafpelt to take you to the Moonstone at the next half moon. Until than you will be known as Cedarpaw." Cedarpaw touched noses with Leafpelt, who looked more irritated than ever now.

"Honeykit, until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Honeypaw. Rainstorm, you are ready for your first apprentice. You have proven yourself many times over as well, and I expect you to pass on what you have learned to Honeypaw."

Rainstorm flicked his tail in happiness when he touched noses with Honeypaw. He was calm and patient like his father. Honeypaw needed someone who could control her quick bursts of speed. Stormstar thought that Rainstorm was the perfect choice.

Once the meeting was over Stormstar decided that tomorrow the Clan would take back sunningrocks. It was time to fight for what rightfully belonged to them. She wasn't going to let some flea-pelt like Hawkfrost ruin their territory.

_And Firestar isn't here to stop me now_, she thought determinedly.

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**AN: Yay for long chapters! And ceremonies... few, my fingers hurt after typing all of that. But this only the beginning, and there are plenty of exciting chapters ahead of us!**


	2. Taking Back Sunningrocks

**AN: And we jump right into the second chapter of the story! This one's a bit more exciting and you get to find out if sunningrocks is taken back... I won't give out too much info. Anyways thanks for reviewing, and don't forget to leave one when you get the chance!**

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**Chapter 2**

Dawn had barely broken out of the sky when Stormstar called for a Clan meeting. She wanted to take back sunningrocks for ThunderClan's sake. Firestar had made ThunderClan look weak by not only giving up a kit, but by giving up territory.

She had already told Larchwing and Birchnose to find a nest inside the warrior's den. It had felt strange sleeping in Firestar's old den, especially with no cat to provide any warmth. She knew that she would have to get used to the emptiness. The life of a leader was a lonely one, especially for a she-cat.

_I've got to stop thinking about her_, Stormstar told herself. All she could think about was Riverkit and her sister, Ravenkit. Hawkfrost and Mistystar had come into camp to take Ravenkit. Now Riverkit was without her sister and the only link she had to her past.

"We're going to take back sunningrocks!" she yowled when the Clan was gathered around the Highrock. From up above she could see the shocked but pleased looks on her Clanmates' faces. "Dustpelt, you're the best at battle tactics, I want you and Brackenfur to organize battle patrols," she added when the dark brown tabby looked at her proudly. He could no longer call her a 'too young deputy'. "Leafpelt, make sure your den is ready for when we get back." The medicine cat nodded, though she seemed more concerned about the casualties that would likely happen.

"I hope StarClan is on our side," Goldenflower murmured when Stormstar jumped off of the Highrock.

Stormstar knew that she missed Speckletail and Dappletail's company. The two oldest queens had passed away during the night while she and Leafpelt were gone. They had endured the worst of Clan life, but in the end they had become strong and confident because of it.

Once the patrols were gathered up she joined them. Snowstorm had stayed in her nest because of her mother's death. Stormstar couldn't blame Snowstorm for wanting to stay behind. Instead the patrols were made up of Mousefur, Cloudtail, Ashfur and Sootpelt. The second patrol consisted of Brambleclaw, Longtail and Brightheart. Longtail's apprentice was told to stay behind and fight another day.

"Are we all ready?" she asked as the sun began to rise.

"We are ready," Brackenfur replied proudly.

The Clan was eager to take back what was once theirs. Stormstar knew that they would win this battle. RiverClan was ill prepared for the fight that was approaching. She doubted Mistystar had expected such a sudden ambush.

Stormstar began to take the lead as soon as they were ready. She led them out of the gorse tunnel, eager to get this done and over with. Brackenfur and Dustpelt were on either side of her, both looking ready to take on RiverClan.

The sun's rays warmed her back as Stormstar bounded ahead. Sunningrocks came into view, and she could see a few cats lingering around the boulders. Some were warriors looking at the river. A couple were elders who were busy sunning themselves.

"Don't go after the elders," she warned them when she realized they could be used as a shield.

A shiver coursed down her spine at the thought. RiverClan cats were crafty warriors and would likely use the elders as bait.

_I won't let them get hurt_, she promised silently.

Her claws scraped against the soil when they hid themselves in the bushes. A few of the RiverClan cats glanced around nervously.

She cursed herself when she realized that the wind was blowing in RiverClan's direction. One cat stood up and glared at the bushes. It was Hawkfrost; his blue eyes glittered like chips of ice.

"ThunderClan, attack!" Her cry swept throughout the forest.

As if on cue the warriors around her sprang out of the bushes. All around her the sounds of battle echoed. Stormstar faced her first opponent; Minnowtail.

The dark gray and white she-cat's lips were curled when she and Stormstar fought each other. Cloudtail and Mousefur were fighting alongside each other while keeping Frogpelt and Beechfur at bay. Ashfur managed to pin down a young looking mottled tabby she-cat that Stormstar didn't recognize.

"Where did the kit come from?" she sneered when she buried her claws into Minnowtail's chest. She was determined to make sure Minnowtail felt the same pain she had felt when Ravenkit was taken away.

_This is for what you said to me_! Stormstar thought when she slammed her paws.

She was about to do it again when she felt someone slam into her shoulder. Stormstar looked up to see Hawkfrost glaring down at her. The dark brown tom's eyes glowed with hatred when she held his stare.

"Attack!" Mistystar's cry sounded from behind them. Stormstar managed to knock Hawkfrost aside when the second wave struck.

"We're taking back what rightfully belongs to ThunderClan," she growled.

"Sunningrocks has always belonged to RiverClan," Mistystar spat. "We have every right to keep them."

"And we have every right to take them back." Stormstar's pelt stood on end as she struck down Mistystar with her claws. She knew that this was not what Firestar would have wanted. But this was about pride and fighting for what ThunderClan deserved.

The RiverClan leader tried forcing Stormstar off by throwing her back against the ground. Stormstar jumped off just in time to avoid getting crushed by Mistystar's heavier weight.

With swift movement she continued swiping her claws across Mistystar's face, avoiding the eyes and scratching tender skin by the nose. Mistystar hissed in pain and pulled back, shaking off the blood that now streamed from her freshly opened wounds.

"You can either keep fighting and lose more warriors, or pull back," Stormstar meowed when she managed to pin Mistystar to the ground. She had seen Hawkfrost and Minnowtail fighting back Brambleclaw, who was bigger than the dark brown warrior and his Clanmate. "Do you really want to risk the lives of your warriors?"

Mistystar seemed to think about what she said. "This isn't over," she snarled before shoving Stormstar off. "RiverClan, retreat!"

Stormstar watched in satisfaction as confused RiverClan cats raced out of the way. Brightheart gave Hawkfrost a final nip before he disappeared beyond the river. Minnowtail looked over her shoulder and glared before joining her Clanmates.

"Sunningrocks is ours once more!" Stormstar yowled once they were alone. "Make sure you set the borders. I want guards posted here at night to ensure they don't cross."

Brackenfur nodded in agreement and, despite the wounds on his flank, led a patrol to mark the border. Once that task was settled the patrols returned to camp to celebrate their victory. Stormstar had won her first battle as leader of ThunderClan. And this was only the first of many.


	3. The Kits

**AN: Here's the next chapter! This one's a bit slower paced, but you get a new point of view! And thanks to my reviewers for reviewing, they're always appreciated. Don't forget to leave one now :D**

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**Chapter 3**

The Clan had celebrated their latest victory with a feast. Stormstar was too exhausted to think about eating. Her mind was on Hawkfrost and Mistystar. Hawkfrost had betrayed her trust and was closer to Minnowtail now. Mistystar would try and take back sunningrocks after she had failed to defend it.

_This time we aren't going to take it easy on them_, she thought as her claws unsheathed.

After the battle she had decided to leave the Clan and return to her nest under the Highrock. In this spot she could think about what to do next. Sunningrocks had been taken back for the Clan's sake. Now she needed to make sure that the Clan remained safe.

"The life of a leader is a lonely one, isn't it?" Stormstar nearly leaped out of her fur when she heard Sandstorm's voice.

She whipped around to see the pale ginger she-cat staring at her in concern.

"Was Firestar like this when he became leader?" she asked in a low whisper.

"He had his doubts, but he knew that the Clan needed him more than ever when Bluestar died," Sandstorm explained. "I knew that he was on his last life that night he died."

"He made a better leader than I ever could be," Stormstar muttered.

Sandstorm flicked her tail across Stormstar's shoulder and shrugged.

"Every cat has a rough beginning," she murmured. "But eventually you will learn from your mistakes."

Stormstar thought about what her foster mother had said. Eventually she nodded and decided that Sandstorm was right. Some things were better left in silence.

She backed out of her den with Sandstorm close at her side. It was the day after sunningrocks had been taken back. The two cats who had guarded it, Snowstorm and Sootpelt, looked exhausted when they returned to the warrior's den.

Brackenfur was sharing tongues with Sorreltail beside the fresh-kill pile when Stormstar approached him. Longtail and Dustpelt were leaving with their apprentices while Honeypaw cleaned out the elder's den. Goldenflower and Frostfur were busy grooming themselves while they waited for Honeypaw to finish.

"What did the guards say when they came back?" Stormstar asked after Brackenfur looked up from his grooming.

"They said only a couple of RiverClan warriors passed through," the golden brown tabby replied with a shrug. "Apparently the warriors spat a couple of insults, but it didn't end in a fight."

Her tail lashed at the thought of RiverClan throwing insults. She understood now that they weren't going to fight back. Not while ThunderClan was strong in numbers. They would strike when the Clan was at their weakest, like they had before.

Once Brackenfur was finished with his report she decided to go and visit the nursery. Squirreltail's kits had opened their eyes a couple of days ago. Now she could hear them mewling as their mother washed them.

The dark ginger queen looked up in surprise when she heard Stormstar's arrival. The nursery seemed strangely empty without Sorreltail's kits.

"Whiteleaf said her kits are due any day now," Squirreltail meowed when she greeted Stormstar. "And these kits are getting more antsy by the day."

"We wanna explore the camp!" Shalekit yowled.

"Can't we go out yet?" Leafkit added.

"Hush you three," Squirreltail murmured. "Whiteleaf is sleeping."

As if her words had been a cue, the other kits without a mother suddenly began mewling. Stormstar purred in amusement when Frozenkit pressed her face against Whiteleaf's bulging belly. Echokit and Riverkit were making strange faces while Squirreltail's kits stared at them in alarm.

"They're okay," Stormstar mewed.

"Leafpelt said that their eyes will open in a couple of days," Squirreltail announced.

_Then the Clan will know who's the father of Riverkit_, Stormstar thought absently.

Would the Clan accept Riverkit? Squirreltail and Whiteleaf had already accepted her as their own kit. Because of Squirreltail's status in the Clan she doubted the Clan would turn on Riverkit. But that didn't mean they couldn't treat her cruelly.

Her mind began to churn with anxiety until she decided it was better not to dwell on the kits. She had bigger things to worry about.

The Gathering would be taking place soon, and she needed to figure out how she would tell the Clans about what had happened to Firestar. They would see her leadership as a sign of weakness. ShadowClan would likely try and take more territory.

Stormstar sighed and looked down at the ground.

_Sometimes I wish Firestar had never named me his deputy_, she told herself.

OoOo

It was barely dark out when the broad-shouldered cat emerged from his den. Nearby streams trickled and the sound of pawsteps approaching echoed around him.

His ice-blue eyes gleamed in the darkness when he greeted the returning patrol.

"Hawkfrost, do you really think it is wise to keep Ravenkit in the Clan?" The deputy jumped when he felt fur brush against his shoulder. He whipped around to see Minnowtail looking at him in concern.

He hated Minnowtail with every ounce of his being. She was smug and stuck-up like her mother, Dawnflower. But he needed to show Mistystar that he had a mate in RiverClan. He hated the fact that he had betrayed Stormstar. And now he was paying for it by listening to Minnowtail speak.

"Ravenkit will make a fine warrior for RiverClan," he growled.

"She looks nothing like our warriors," Minnowtail hissed. "Why bother keeping a kit that looks like a rat?"

At once Hawkfrost's claws unsheathed and he snarled at his mate.

"If you ever call her a rat again, I will flay you!" he spat.

Minnowtail took a startled step back, amber eyes widening in disbelief.

"What did I ever do?" she demanded.

"Nothing." His voice was barely a whisper when the patrol returned to their nests.

_I'm sorry, Stormstar_, he thought as he closed his eyes.

Life would have been easier had they never met. But he knew that they were destined to be together. Only in StarClan could they hunt together like old friends. Until than, they were enemies.

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**AN: So now what do ya think about Hawkfrost? He's not so bad now isn't he? Don't forget to stop by and review!**


	4. Broken Leg

**AN: Here's the next chapter, and this one Whiteleaf has her kits! And to the person who reviewed about the characters not being right, THIS IS AN ALTERNATE VERSION! If you read the first book than you would understand that - - Anyways thanks to everyone else who left reviews, and enjoy this long chapter!**

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**Chapter 4**

Stormstar was jolted awake by the sounds of wailing in the camp. Her eyes snapped open to find herself in Firestar's old den. When she jumped to her paws she saw that the moon had already disappeared.

She padded out of the den to see that a few cats were gathered around the nursery.

Whiteleaf was giving birth. Standing near the nursery's entrance was Sootpelt. The light gray tom jumped when another wail sounded. Stormstar purred in amusement when she saw the fearful look in his eyes. This was just another queen giving birth.

_I know what it is like_, she thought sadly.

Eventually the wailing died down after what felt like moons had passed. Stormstar washed herself while Leafpelt emerged from the nursery. A proud look gleamed within her amber eyes when she glanced at Sootpelt.

"Congratulations," she purred. "You have three healthy kits."

Sootpelt stared at Leafpelt in disbelief until he pushed her aside to visit his mate.

Stormstar followed suit. As leader she wanted to see what Whiteleaf's kits were like. Squirreltail's kits and the other kits were all huddled together in the back of the nursery.

Riverkit's eyes were fully open. Stormstar gasped when she saw that they were icy blue. Like cold water staring back at her, Riverkit watched as she approached Whiteleaf. She suppressed a shudder and looked down at Whiteleaf.

The white she-cat's eyes were glowing softly when she looked up at Sootpelt.

"One she-cat and two toms," she murmured.

They resembled their mother and father in every way. One was pale gray with white paws. Another was brown and white, like their half-aunt Sorreltail. The third was gray and white with darker gray-tipped ears. Stormstar purred when she thought about how they would make fine warriors.

"This one is going to be called Graykit, in honor of Graystripe," Whiteleaf meowed when she pointed her tail towards the gray and white kit. "His name deserves to be remembered, even if he did follow Frostwind." Her eyes glittered when she looked at Sootpelt, who nodded in approval.

"Why don't we name the pale gray kit Streamkit?" he suggested after a heartbeat of silence followed.

When Whiteleaf nodded she glanced at the brown and white tom. "His name will be Toadkit," she meowed.

Stormstar pulled back when Whiteleaf named her last kit. That sounded like a cruel name. But she had heard of kits being named Toadkit before in the past.

She shrugged and decided it was better not to think about it. With nine kits in the nursery the Clan was going to have plenty of apprentices by leafbare. She knew that despite what the rest of the Clan thought, they would remain strong.

"Larchwing, Brambleclaw and Cloudtail, we're going hunting," she announced after deciding it was time to get the day started.

All three of them had been woken up by Whiteleaf's news. She wanted to stretch out her muscles by hunting for the Clan, so she decided to bring with her the warriors she trusted the most.

Brambleclaw looked annoyed, but he nodded just the same. Cloudtail rolled his eyes while Larchwing padded towards her former mentor.

Once the patrol was organized she decided to take them to Tallpines. It felt like moons had passed since they were there. Mice were almost always abundant around Tallpines at night. Twolegs didn't come out at night because they didn't see very well.

Stormstar raised her chin slightly when she picked up the scent of vole. She flicked her tail at Larchwing and Cloudtail. Brambleclaw's dark pelt would come in handy with the sun barely rising.

The vole was sifting through the pine needles that covered the ground. Stormstar's whiskers twitched once when Brambleclaw leaped forward. The vole barely had time to react when his claws made a killing blow.

Suddenly Stormstar froze when another scent filled the air. Her ears pricked forward when she recognized the stench. It was overpowering as her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Fox!" she gasped. "Get that prey out of here," she ordered when Brambleclaw looked at her in confusion.

The russet-furred creature was carefully stalking through the forest. Stormstar had heard stories of how they found the camp before. Foxes were vicious creatures that killed for the fun of it. But this one was different. She could sense that it was desperate for prey. Even if it was prey that could fight back.

"We can take it on easily," Larchwing sniffed.

"Three small cats against a full-grown fox," Cloudtail scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah, I can see how those odds would fair."

Stormstar rolled her own eyes and decided to observe the fox for now. She hoped that Brambleclaw would return with more warriors.

The fox was tasting the air for signs of prey. Stormstar thanked StarClan that the wind was blowing in their direction rather than their enemies' direction. Suddenly the creature turned towards the cats hiding in the bushes.

She froze when it's narrow muzzle opened in the beginnings of a snarl.

Without warning the fox lunged towards them. Stormstar let out a warning yowl and jumped out of the way. The fox nearly crashed into the bush, shoving Cloudtail with its powerful muzzle.

Cloudtail yowled in surprise as he was sent hurtling across the undergrowth. The white-furred tom jumped to his paws, but grimaced when he landed on one of his legs. Stormstar realized that something was wrong with his leg too late.

The fox saw his sign of weakness and lunged forward once again. Cloudtail's eyes widened in alarm, but he couldn't move out of the way.

Panic stirred within Stormstar's chest. She leaped through the air, unable to contain the fury that surged through her. This was all her fault!

_I should've never chosen to come here_! she told herself when her claws snared through the fox's thick fur. She thought about the powers that StarClan had given her. Without hesitating she tried to bring up the fire that burned within her veins.

However when she tried using fire, nothing came out. Stormstar stared in dismay when she realized that nothing was happening. The fox's snarl was evident as her claws buried into its skin. Larchwing jumped forward to help defend her.

"StarClan help us!" Larchwing wailed when she was thrown off.

As if her words had been a cue, a yowl sounded from the distance. Hope flared within Stormstar's chest when she realized that Brambleclaw had returned. Behind him were Rainstorm, Honeypaw, Ashfur and Mousefur. All three warriors had experience fighting foxes. Stormstar hoped that Honeypaw stayed in the background.

Every warrior fought off the fox. The large creature swung its muzzle in confusion, realizing that it had bitten off more than it could chew. Three warriors were easy prey, but an entire patrol would end in needless blood loss.

The creature suddenly backed off and began moving away from the patrol. Stormstar jumped off just in time as she landed beside Rainstorm.

"Next time your ears will be shredded off!" Mousefur yowled when the fox lumbered away.

"Cloudtail, is he..." Stormstar looked down at Cloudtail, whose face was crumpled in pain.

"He needs to be seen by Leafpelt," Rainstorm murmured sympathetically.

Stormstar glared at Ashfur when the warrior simply rolled his eyes. He could care less about his Clanmate. She would deal with him later. For now Cloudtail needed her help.

The sun was quickly rising by the time their patrol returned. Every cat except for Ashfur had their heads bowed in defeat and exhaustion. The fight with the fox had taken its toll on them all. Brightheart was the first to see her mate, whose breathing had worsened.

"StarClan, what happened to him?" she demanded when she gave him a careful sniff.

"Didn't Brambleclaw tell you?" When cats looked at her in confusion Stormstar sighed. "A fox decided to use us as it's prey," she explained.

"We need to make sure it doesn't come back," Brackenfur growled. He glanced at Honeypaw anxiously.

"A patrol will be sent out to make sure it got the message," Stormstar assured him.

Brackenfur seemed a bit reassured by her words and stalked away with Sorreltail at his side. Larchwing gave her former mentor an odd look before bounding after them.

Stormstar led Brightheart and Cloudtail to Leafpelt's den. The light brown tabby was waiting for them; a nest had already been built for Cloudtail.

"Put him over there," Leafpelt ordered. Cedarpaw looked up from organizing his herbs. This would be his first patient as a medicine cat. "Cedarpaw, fetch some comfrey and dock," she meowed when the apprentice glanced at her.

"Will he be okay?" Brightheart demanded.

"I'm not sure," Leafpelt admitted. "I... I think his leg might be broken."

"Broken?" Brightheart wailed when she nuzzled her mate. Cloudtail groaned at the sudden movement. Stormstar and Leafpelt had to pull Brightheart away before she caused more pain. "No, I won't leave him alone like this!"

"Brightheart... this has happened before," Stormstar meowed. "Leafpelt's a good medicine cat, but she needs her space."

Brightheart looked like she was ready to argue, than seemed to think better of it. She eyed them both suspiciously before stalking out of the den. Leafpelt sighed in frustration and looked down at Cloudtail's mangled leg.

"There's no way I can heal this," she whispered. "Even with Cedarpaw's help and Cinderpelt's mentoring this is one wound I cannot heal."

Stormstar flicked her tail across Leafpelt's shoulder. She suddenly felt sorry for the young medicine cat. Cinderpelt had done everything she could to help Leafpelt become who she was now. But not everything was mice and moonlight in the real world.

"Is this what happened to Cinderpelt?" Stormstar asked in a quiet voice.

"It's similar, but she lost her leg on the Thunderpath," Leafpelt replied. "I will have to remove it before the wound gets infected. He will have to retire to the elder's den." Her voice dropped when she looked down at Cloudtail.

"We can heal him!" Cedarpaw mewed.

Leafpelt looked down at her apprentice affectionately. Stormstar purred in amusement at Cedarpaw's hopeful tone. She hoped that he was right. She hoped that Cloudtail would recover.

* * *

**AN: Poor Cloudtail. He's definitely gonna feel that one in the morning. And I'm enjoying writing about Cedarpaw, he's fun to create XD**


	5. StarClan Explains

**AN: So we get to find out what happens to Cloudtail in this chapter, and why Stormstar couldn't use her powers. Yes, everything is explained in as much detail as I can give. Hopefully you'll enjoy this short but too the point chapter.**

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**Chapter 5**

A day had passed since the fox was last seen. Patrols were constantly sent to make sure it did not return. Cloudtail's leg had been severed beyond repair. Brightheart was in distress over her mate's deformed leg, but he held on. Surprisingly he didn't complain about his lack of a fourth leg. In fact he was taking it well as he limped around Leafpelt's den. Stormstar made sure that she visited him before joining a border patrol. He needed the company now more than ever.

"Now he really is a useless kittypet," she heard Dustpelt sneer when she strolled past.

Stormstar whipped around to face him, eyes narrowed into tiny slits. The dark brown tabby shrank back in surprise when he saw the anger within her eyes.

"Don't you ever call him a worthless kittypet!" she spat.

"What are you, his protector?" Mousefur mewed with a roll of her eyes.

Stormstar glared at them. Cloudtail was Firestar's nephew! These cats needed to show him more respect, especially since his daughter just gave birth to the future of their Clan.

"Just go hunting or something," she growled before leaving them.

The warriors looked at her in confusion before doing as they were told. Dustpelt had always treated Firestar and his kin with hostility. Sandstorm had told her stories of how the old leader was treated because of his kittypet blood.

She shook her head in frustration as she thought about the ceremonies that would happen tomorrow. Squirreltail's kits were ready to become apprentices. That left the nursery with Echokit, Frozenkit and Riverkit. She wasn't so sure if those were good combinations, especially with Whiteleaf and Ferncloud on their own.

As she curled up in her nest under the Highrock, she thought about what had happened during the fox fight.

_I couldn't use my powers_, she thought angrily. Why couldn't she used them to defend her Clanmates?

OoOo

Her eyes flashed open when she heard a cough in the distance. She jumped to her paws and realized that she was in StarClan's hunting grounds.

Standing in front of her was a dark gray she-cat with a flattened face. The she-cat's eyes were a dark shade of orange. The stranger's lips curled in disgust when she glared at Stormstar. A shudder coursed down Stormstar's spine when she held the stranger's piercing gaze.

"W-who are you?" Stormstar demanded.

"My name is Yellowfang," the old cat sneered. "But the real question is do you know who _you_ are?"

"Stop speaking in riddles, Yellowfang." Stormstar blinked in surprise when Bluestar emerged from the undergrowth.

"Why can't I use my powers?" Stormstar was fed up with these cats. She stared at Bluestar, the cat who had given her the power to breath underwater.

"When we gave you nine lives they stripped you of your powers," Bluestar explained. Her blue eyes glowed with sympathy. "We did not know this would happen to Cloudtail, but some wounds just cannot be healed."

Stormstar looked down at her paws in disbelief. They took away her powers? Why bother giving them to her in the first place than?

"We needed someone who would not take advantage of their powers," another voice told her. Both Yellowfang and Bluestar turned to see Spottedleaf padding towards them. "Though your mother was a kittypet and for a while a rogue, she chose had a mate who was from the Clans. We decided that you would make a wise choice for these gifts."

"If that's the case than... what becomes of Riverkit and Ravenkit?" Her voice felt dry with annoyance as she glared at the three she-cats.

"StarClan is always interfering with the lives of those close to them," spat Yellowfang.

Bluestar shot her a hostile look. "StarClan chose you because we foresaw a threat that loomed over the Clans," she meowed calmly. "We did not know who or what the threat was, but we acted quickly. We sent a cat to visit Magnolia, who was living in the mountains at the time. She traveled to the forest while she was expecting kits, but then the fox came..." Bluestar cut herself off and narrowed her eyes. "You were always destined to lead the Clans, no matter what story we tell you."

The ThunderClan leader raised her chin and stared at Bluestar angrily.

"So now what do I do?" she asked.

"Return to the Clan," Spottedleaf rasped. "Become the leader you were destined to be."

When Stormstar closed her eyes she felt the memories of meeting Ravenheart for the first time stir within her. She remembered traveling to the mountains with Spiderfang and Squirreltail. She remembered what the rogues had called her when they first met.

_Is this what it feels like to get old_? she wondered when the forest of StarClan disappeared. _Thank you, Magnolia for taking me to the Clans_.


	6. Many New Apprentices

**AN: Yes, I did a fast update. And yes, Cloudtail is retiring early. Deal with it :P**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Cloudtail's leg had been severed beyond repair. The entire Clan was annoyed that he had retired early to the elder's den. But it had to be done for his safety. Stormstar wanted to show the Clan that he was still more than capable of getting around with three legs.

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Her yowl stretched across the clearing. She had decided with Squirreltail's help that all six kits would become apprentices. Riverkit was only five moons old, but she was big enough to look six.

_And we don't even know how old Echokit and Frozenkit are_, she told herself. At least that was what she had told the Clan. They were closer to Riverkit's age.

"Cloudtail, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and join the elders?" Stormstar looked down at the long-haired tom. Cloudtail's eyes were still glowing with what she thought was self pity.

"It is," he muttered in a cross voice.

"Your clan honors you and all the service you have given us, I call upon StarClan to give you many seasons of rest." She jumped down from the Highrock to place her tail against Cloudtail's shoulder.

"Cloudtail! Cloudtail!" Despite the constant badgering he had received, the Clan cheered his name.

Stormstar bounded back to the top of the Highrock where she overlooked the Clan once more. It was time for one of the Clan's most important duties. This time the Clan would be full of apprentices.

"There are also six kits who are ready to become apprentices," she announced after taking a deep breath. "Come forward." Her tail flicked towards the nursery. All six of them stumbled forward. Riverkit's eyes glowed with excitement when she looked up at Stormstar. Frozenkit and Echokit also looked like they were ready to burst with anticipation. "By naming apprentices we show that the Clan will remain strong. Shalekit, until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Shalepaw. Sootpelt, you are ready for an apprentice. You have proven yourself many times over, and I expect you to pass on what you have learned to Shalepaw."

Sootpelt's eyes glowed with pride when he touched noses with his new apprentice. Shalepaw looked just as pleased that he had received Sootpelt as a mentor.

"Emberkit, until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Emberpaw. Sandstorm, you are ready for an apprentice. You have mentored Sorreltail, and she has become an asset to the Clan. I expect you to continue this training with Emberpaw."

Sandstorm looked like she was ready to burst with happiness as she touched noses with her granddaughter. It had been some time since Sandstorm mentored an apprentice. Stormstar figured that Emberpaw would provide a good distraction after everything that was happening. First Firestar's death, and than his kin's disability.

"Leafkit, until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Leafpaw. I am ready for an apprentice, and I would like to take you on as my apprentice." Leafpaw's eyes widened in disbelief when she touched noses with the younger cat.

_It's an honor to have the Clan leader as your mentor_, Stormstar thought as she watched the apprentice give an excited skip. She returned to her place on the Highrock and glanced at the other three kits. Her daughter, Riverkit, was sitting beside Frozenkit and Echokit.

"Frozenkit, until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Frozenpaw. Brambleclaw, you are ready for an apprentice. You temporarily mentored Birchnose into a fine warrior, and I expect you to pass on this training to Frozenpaw."

She didn't miss the look of surprise within Brambleclaw's eyes as he touched noses with his new apprentice. Frozenpaw looked just as surprised when she was taken back to the crowd. But she looked more happy than annoyed with Stormstar's choice.

"Echokit, until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Echopaw. Snowstorm, you are ready for an apprentice. You have more than just forest training for experience, and I expect you to pass on what you have learned to Echopaw."

Snowstorm's eyes glowed with happiness as she touched noses with Echopaw. The young white she-cat had lost her mother a few days ago. She deserved an apprentice in honor of what Speckletail had done for her.

"Riverkit..." Stormstar paused when she mentioned her daughter's name. It felt odd knowing that Riverkit of all kits would become an apprentice. "Until you have received your warrior name you will be known as Riverpaw. Ashfur, you are ready for your first apprentice. You have proven your worth many times over, and I expect you to pass on what you have learned to Riverpaw."

She regretted giving Ashfur an apprentice, especially her own kit. But she had no other choice. Mousefur was getting old and would soon retire. All of the other mentors were wrapped up with their own apprentices to worry about. Larchwing and Birchnose were too young to have apprentices. Ashfur was really the only logical choice.

Once the two touched noses, the ceremony was ended. Now there were no cats available to mentor apprentices aside from Brackenfur, Larchwing and Birchnose. Whiteleaf's kits would have to wait sometime before becoming apprentices.

_ThunderClan_

**Leader:** _Stormstar- _silver, black and gray she-cat with green eyes  
**Apprentice: Leafpaw**

**Deputy:** _Brackenfur_- golden brown tabby tom

**Medicine Cat:** _Leafpelt_- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Cedarpaw**

**Warriors:**

_Mousefur-_ small dusky brown she-cat

_Dustpelt-_ dark brown tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Flamepaw**

_Sandstorm_- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes  
**Apprentice: Emberpaw**

_Longtail-_ pale tabby tom with dark black stripes  
**Apprentice: Aspenpaw**

_Brightheart_- white she-cat with ginger patches

_Ashfur-_ gray tom (with lighter flecks) with dark blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Riverpaw**

_Brambleclaw-_ dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Frozenpaw**

_Rainstorm_- dark gray tom with blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Honeypaw**

_Sootpelt_- lighter gray tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice: Shalepaw**

_Sorreltail_- tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

_Squirreltail_- dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

_Snowstorm_- white she-cat with blue eyes  
**Apprentice: Echopaw**

_Larchwing_- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

_Birchnose_- light brown tabby tom

**Apprentices:**

_Flamepaw_- dark ginger tom with amber eyes

_Aspenpaw_- tortoiseshell and ginger she-cat with amber eyes

_Cedarpaw_- pale ginger tom with green eyes

_Honeypaw_- golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

_Shalepaw_- dark ginger tom with green eyes

_Emberpaw_- ginger-brown she-cat with amber eyes

_Leafpaw_- pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

_Frozenpaw_- dark gray she-cat with silver-tipped paws and yellow eyes

_Echopaw_- lighter gray she-cat with yellow eyes

_Riverpaw_- dark brown she-cat with black stripes along her back; has blue eyes

**Queens:**

_Ferncloud- _speckled pale gray she-cat with green eyes

_Whiteleaf_- white she-cat with green eyes, mother of Graykit, Streamkit and Toadkit by Sootpelt

**Elders:**

_Goldenflower-_ pale ginger she-cat

_Frostfur-_ white she-cat with blue eyes

_Cloudtail_- long-haired white tom with blue eyes; retired early due to broken leg

**Kits:**

_Graykit_- pale gray and white tom

_Streamkit_- gray she-cat with darker gray-tipped ears

_Toadkit_- brown and white tom

* * *

**AN: Since so many new apprentices were added I decided to make a fast allegiance update. This should help sum things up for everyone.**


	7. Leafpaw

**AN: And yet another update. Man I'm getting these up fast :P**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The apprentices were taken out to be shown the territory. Stormstar had taken out Leafpaw separately so that they could spend some time together. The young apprentice's little tail waved happily in the air as she chased after branches, insects and leaves that were in her way. Leafpaw reminded Stormstar of a younger Squirreltail. That was why she had chosen to mentor young Leafpaw. The last thing the Clan needed was another Squirreltail.

Amusement coursed through Stormstar when she thought of her good friend. Squirreltail may have acted rude and obnoxious at times, but she had a good heart. The dark ginger she-cat wanted to be like her father more than ever now.

They were making their way to sunningrocks when Leafpaw almost tripped over her own paws. The apprentice let out a frustrated squeal and glared at the ground.

"You can't blame the ground for tripping you," Stormstar purred when she brushed her tail against Leafpaw's shoulder.

"The ground was in the way," Leafpaw retorted.

Stormstar shook her head and forced back the laughter that was slowly building within her. She led Leafpaw towards sunningrocks and saw that the markers had been recently set. Satisfaction swelled within her when she realized that Mistystar wasn't going to fight back anytime soon.

"This is sunningrocks," she explained. "ThunderClan and RiverClan are constantly fighting over them because they're prime hunting grounds. There was just a fight for them a couple of days ago for that reason."

"I remember that fight!" Leafpaw exclaimed. "Brambleclaw told me all about it. He said Hawkfrost was really mad when you pummeled Minnowtail with your claws."

Anger churned within her belly as she remembered the smug look in Minnowtail's eyes. The next time they came across each other she would flay Minnowtail. She would make sure that Minnowtail felt the pain she felt when Hawkfrost betrayed her.

"Can we check out the river?" Leafpaw mewed when she peered past the shrubs that lined sunningrocks.

The ThunderClan leader eyed the river suspiciously before nodding in agreement. There was no harm in letting Leafpaw see the river. RiverClan cats might lurk beyond the river, but they wouldn't dare cross the border, not after the beating they'd received.

She led Leafpaw across the granite-colored boulders. The apprentice was about to bound forward when she gave Leafpaw a warning growl.

"Don't get too far ahead," she hissed when Leafpaw looked at her in confusion. "Keep your eyes and ears open. Use your senses to see if there are any signs of intruders."

Leafpaw nodded and stood still for a few heartbeats. She was quiet as she listened to the sounds of the river gurgling nearby.

"There's a patrol coming," Leafpaw announced in a whisper.

It took everything Stormstar had not to rush forward and find out who was part of the patrol. Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she watched three cats emerge from the reeds. Stormstar recognized Mothpool and Beaverclaw. Beechfur, Minnowtail's brother, was also part of the patrol.

"Looks like we've found that source of ThunderClan scent," Beaverclaw sniffed when he looked at Stormstar pointedly.

"What are you doing so close to the border? Going to take some more territory?" Beechfur snarled.

Mothpool's eyes glowed with sympathy when she looked at them. She did not forget the journey they had taken to the mountains. Stormstar wondered if she was the only one who remembered those days when they were all apprentices.

"I was only showing my apprentice the borders," Stormstar replied after eying Beechfur coolly.

"This cat looks like it's barely a kit," Beechfur sneered.

"That's enough, Beechfur," Mothpool snapped. Her blue eyes glowed with anger when she stared at Beechfur. "We aren't here to insult."

"Come on, let's go tell Mistystar what happened," Beaverclaw added.

Stormstar looked at Mothpool thankfully. The dappled golden she-cat had avoided confrontation once again. She would have made a wise choice as deputy for Mistystar. But of course Hawkfrost had been chosen instead.

"That was close," Leafpaw sighed when all three cats disappeared back into the reeds.

"You did well," Stormstar murmured. "Those were RiverClan warriors. Learn their scent well, and keep an eye on them."

Leafpaw's eyes widened in surprise when she bounded ahead. Stormstar shook her head in amusement and bounded after her apprentice.

Soon they reached the Thunderpath that stretched before their territory and ShadowClan's. Stormstar had never understood how ShadowClan cats were able to get across without facing monsters. Her thoughts were interrupted however when Leafpaw's nose wrinkled in disgust.

"What _is_ that stench?" she demanded after trying to wipe the scent off of her nose.

"Believe it or not, that is the Thunderpath that smells so bad," Stormstar explained. She couldn't help but feel amused by her apprentice's over-dramatic attitude. "ShadowClan's scent is a mix of pine and crowfood. You'll recognize their scent immediately."

The apprentice stared at the Thunderpath in horror when a monster roared by. Dust was kicked up in the air as the large creature swept past them.

"Don't ever cross the Thunderpath without a warrior watching you," Stormstar growled when she coughed out dust.

The pale ginger she-cat nodded in agreement. She didn't need to be told twice that the Thunderpath was dangerous. Just hearing and feeling the monsters rush by them was enough to send her running back. Stormstar knew that Leafpaw would stay safe.

After they were finished watching the Thunderpath Stormstar led Leafpaw towards Snakerocks and the Owl Tree. She could tell that Leafpaw was getting tired already. The apprentice had slowed down by the time they reached the Owl Tree.

"Hey Stormstar, mind if we join you?" Stormstar froze when she spotted Brambleclaw and Frozenpaw. Both cats looked annoyed with each other, but they made no complaint out loud.

"I was just going to show Leafpaw the training hollow," she replied with a nod.

Brambleclaw flicked his tail and stepped in beside her. Stormstar felt uncomfortable as she brushed her pelt against his. Leafpaw looked more than excited to be patrolling the border with her father.

Silence passed between all four cats when they reached the training hollow. Frozenpaw looked on with awe when Flamepaw and Dustpelt practiced their fighting moves. Stormstar noticed how her claws sheathed and unsheathed as she watched the pair.

"Why don't you teach her some fighting moves," Stormstar suggested when she realized that Frozenpaw was desperate to learn some moves.

The dark brown tabby opened his mouth to argue, than thought better of it. Instead he looked down at Frozenpaw, who was almost as big as Flamepaw. Stormstar had never even noticed their size difference until now.

"Come on Leafpaw, I'll show you Fourtrees next," Stormstar meowed after Brambleclaw led Frozenpaw to the other side of the training hollow.

Though Leafpaw was disappointed to leave her father behind, she looked more excited to see Fourtrees.

Her tail waved happily in the air as she bounced alongside Stormstar. Despite her exhaustion she had quickly recovered and was now trying to make up for her slower pace.

Fourtrees loomed ahead of them. The four giant oaks seemed to reach for the sky, soaking in the sunlight that gleamed above them. Stormstar wished that she was suddenly back at camp to warm her fur.

"_This_ is where Gatherings are held?" Leafpaw asked.

"Yes," Stormstar replied. "All four Clans gather here during a time of peace. There will be one in a couple of days in fact."

"Can I go?" Leafpaw gave an excited bounce when she looked at Stormstar.

"You're too young," she murmured sympathetically. "Maybe the next one you can go to."

"But I wanna see the other Clans!" The apprentice let out an annoyed sigh as she glared at the clearing.

Stormstar rolled her eyes and continued moving back towards the camp. Leafpaw could whine all she wanted, but she wasn't going to convince Stormstar that she was ready. In fact her attitude proved that Leafpaw was far from ready.

_She acts like a kit_, she thought with a lash of her tail. _Until she matures she will be treated like one_.

Her muscles felt stiff with exhaustion by the time they returned to camp. Leafpaw was still disappointed after Stormstar had told her she wasn't going to the Gathering. But Stormstar knew just how to handle such an attitude.

"Leafpaw, why don't you go clean out the elder's den," she suggested.

Leafpaw looked like she was ready to argue when she thought better of it. Her eyes narrowed before she stalked off towards the elder's den. Once again Stormstar rolled her eyes and returned to her own den.

_Soon she will learn_, she promised silently.

* * *

**AN: So what do ya think of Leafpaw? She's a pretty funny character and is very much like Squirreltail. Should be interesting to see where her character goes :D**


	8. Gathering

**AN: Gathering chapter! And Leafpaw is definitely Squirreltail in younger form XD I'm glad I made her character, because she's gonna play an important role in the future series. Anyways thanks everyone for your reviews!**

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**Chapter 8**

"Cleaning out the elder's den is boring," Leafpaw grumbled when she looked down at the ground.

A day had passed since she and her denmates were made apprentices. Stormstar had ordered her to clean out the elder's den while she discussed border patrols with Brackenfur. The ThunderClan deputy had been worried about increased WindClan patrols near Fourtrees.

With the Gathering tonight Stormstar wanted to assure her Clan that the borders were safe. RiverClan cats had not been seen at sunningrocks since the battle. ShadowClan scent was always pungent near the Thunderpath.

"Leafpaw, you're not going to get anywhere by complaining all day," Stormstar growled when her apprentice scampered towards her.

The new apprentice's tail lowered in annoyance when she realized that her complaining would get her nowhere. Stormstar sighed in frustration when Leafpaw stalked away. She whispered something to her brother Shalepaw, who simply glared in response.

"She needs to learn some patience," Brackenfur purred.

"She has too much Squirreltail in her," Stormstar muttered crossly.

"All apprentices are like that in the beginning," the deputy meowed. "Even you were like that when you were an apprentice."

Stormstar stared at her former mentor as if he had grown wings. Brackenfur snorted in amusement and flicked his tail across her shoulder.

The camp was buzzing with activity as Stormstar finished her meeting with Brackenfur. She was greeted by Squirreltail, whose green eyes glowed with excitement when she looked at Stormstar.

"I'd like to go to the Gathering tonight," she mewed. "It's been moons since I've seen the last Gathering, and I want to stretch out my legs."

"I don't see why you can't go," Stormstar replied with a nod. "Have you seen Leafpelt? I want to have a word with her before we get ready."

Squirreltail pointed her tail towards the medicine cat's den. Stormstar meowed goodbye to her friend and bounded across the clearing. Leafpelt's den was located between two boulders, with lichen hanging over the entrance.

Inside the den was filled with herbs and a few empty spaces for patients. Cedarpaw was busy organizing herbs while Leafpelt told him what each herb was for. Leafpelt only looked up when Stormstar gave a tiny cough.

"Has StarClan told you anything unusual?" Stormstar asked when she looked at Leafpelt.

"Cedarpaw, why don't you go and check on Cloudtail," Leafpelt told her apprentice. The young cat looked at her in surprise before bounding out of the den. Stormstar blinked in surprise when Leafpelt held her gaze. "StarClan told me in a dream that the shadows are rising. Only with the strike of lightning can the shadows be stopped," she meowed.

"What in StarClan's name is that supposed to mean?" Stormstar demanded.

_Why can't they make things simple_? she wondered as she imagined what this could possibly mean. _The shadows are rising_... _that could mean ShadowClan was growing in number_. _And than the lightning strikes, so what is the lightning_?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Leafpelt began chewing on a plant near her pile of herbs.

Stormstar gave the herbs a disdainful sniff and reeled back. What ever Leafpelt was eating made her stomach clench. The tabby was trying to conserve what fresh-kill was available. It was odd, and too early for such things to happen.

She backed out of the den and mewed her goodbye to Cedarpaw, who'd only just returned. Unease began to crawl through Stormstar until she left the den.

It was almost dusk by the time the Clan was ready to leave. Stormstar had groomed her pelt clean while she waited for the Clan to gather. All of the newer apprentices were staying behind while Sorreltail's kits got to go.

Brackenfur, Sorreltail, Squirreltail, Dustpelt, Longtail and Rainstorm were all going to the Gathering. Leafpool and her apprentice Cedarpaw had just emerged from their dens to leave. All of Sorreltail's kits looked more than eager to get started with the Gathering.

Once the Clan was ready to go Stormstar bounded ahead. Her pelt bristled with excitement as she thought of what to tell the Clans. This was her first Gathering as the new leader of ThunderClan.

"What are you going to tell them about Firestar?" Dustpelt demanded when he ran beside her. His dark tabby pelt blended in so well with the forest she hardly noticed him.

"I will simply tell them that he died peacefully," she replied. "There's no need to explain thoroughly."

The old warrior snorted and strolled on ahead. Stormstar rolled her eyes and watched as Fourtrees came into view. Sure enough ShadowClan was already there. She would stay alert for any signs of the Clan getting larger in numbers.

_I'm sure Blackstar will say something if it is_, she decided after shaking her head in embarrassment.

The ShadowClan leader's blue eyes pierced through the darkness when he spotted the ThunderClan cats. Stormstar raised her chin and looked on as proudly as she could. Blackstar's lips curled in disgust before he looked away.

"What are you doing on the Great Rock?" Rowanclaw sneered when she approached the newly named leader.

"You will find out when the Gathering starts," Stormstar hissed as she tried to keep her temper down.

She ignored Rowanclaw's hiss of annoyance and looked on across the clearing. Soon WindClan arrived, and Stormstar recognized Shadowpelt almost immediately.

His dark pelt wasn't what stood out amongst the crowd. It was the scars that covered half of his face. She had inflicted those scars while they were fighting over territory. Shadowpelt's yellow eyes glowed with anger when he looked up at her.

Mudstar jumped onto the Great Rock and sat beside Blackstar. The two toms remained icily silent while they waited for RiverClan to arrive.

As if their silence had been a cue, Mistystar bounded forward and led her Clanmates into the clearing. Stormstar's eyes narrowed into tiny slits when she glared at Mistystar. The gray she-cat would likely try and take sunningrocks back during the Gathering.

"I'd like to begin this Gathering," Mudstar announced. When no cat argued Mudstar's eyes glittered with what Stormstar thought was ambition. "WindClan is thriving since newleaf came. We have a new litter of kits; Morningflower is their mother. Tanglefur her moved into the nursery, and we have one new warrior, Lilytail is here."

"Lilytail! Lilytail!" The Clans cheered for Lilytail's name. Stormstar spotted the young warrior and felt a purr rising in her throat. Lilytail looked like a decent enough warrior.

Mudstar backed down and sat beside Blackstar once more, who was next to speak.

"ShadowClan thrives this newleaf," the large white tom announced. "We have three new apprentices, Olivepaw, Stonepaw and Branchpaw are here. Tawnypelt has also given birth to a new litter of kits."

Stormstar tilted her head to one side when Blackstar finished speaking. He looked pointedly at her as if he expected her to strike back. She rolled her eyes and took a step forward. Clearly Mistystar wasn't going to speak until the others were finished.

"Cats of all Clans, I am sad to say that Firestar has passed away peacefully in his sleep a few nights ago," Stormstar meowed when an icy silence filled the air. "He has lived a wonderful life, and he will be remembered and honored within the Clans."

Cats gasped in dismay at the news. Stormstar forced back the urge to wince as she imagined what they were thinking of her.

"We also have plenty of new apprentices, and Whiteleaf has given birth to her first litter of kits," she finished once the mutterings died down. She wasn't going to say how many apprentices the Clan had. That would be an open challenge to any leaders eager to take more territory. She looked pointedly at Mistystar though as the gray she-cat looked away in disgust.

"RiverClan is doing well this newleaf," Mistystar announced when Stormstar was finished speaking. "I am sad to say that my deputy, Heavystep has retired. He has lived a full life and will be a welcomed addition to the elder's den. Hawkfrost is my new deputy."

Stormstar looked at Hawkfrost in mixed disgust. The dark brown tom had washed his pelt and was looking on proudly as cats cheered his name. Stormstar rolled her eyes at his smug attitude.

"We also have a new apprentice, Ravenpaw. She could not come tonight," the leader added. Mistystar gave Stormstar a cold look when she mentioned Ravenpaw's name.

_She means it to be a challenge_, Stormstar thought with a lash of her tail.

Her lips curled in disgust when Mistystar tried to use her own daughter as a pawn. She wasn't about to be drawn into another battle. Sunningrocks was ThunderClan's fair and square. If RiverClan wanted it so badly they would have to fight.

Mudstar had announced that the Gathering was over. Stormstar jumped down and landed beside Brackenfur, whose eyes narrowed when he glared at Rowanclaw. The ginger she-cat simply snorted and looked away in contempt.

Stormstar glared at Rowanclaw before shaking her head in frustration. This wasn't how she wanted her first Gathering as leader to end.

"Let's go home," she murmured.

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**AN: So, what did ya think? As usual there is always tension between leaders during the Gathering. But this time it was higher than usual. You'll find out why soon enough :D**


	9. Ambush

**AN: Here's the next chapter, but you may not be too happy about it. Lots of drama and typical Clan fights breaking out. But aside from that, enjoy :D**

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**Chapter 9**

Two days had passed since the Gathering. Stormstar had begun to show Leafpaw fighting moves in those two days. The young apprentice was a fast learner, but impatient like her mother. She wanted to learn the moves as quickly as she could.

With each day Stormstar had become more stressed over what the prophecy Leafpelt told her meant. She was desperate to find out what StarClan wanted from her. The medicine cat had tried to soothe her by saying it probably meant nothing. But that didn't stop Stormstar from wondering who it could be for. If the prophecy wasn't for her than maybe it was meant for someone else in ThunderClan. Either way it wasn't going to end well for the Clan.

Stormstar raised her chin and sighed as she felt the sun warm her pelt. Greenleaf would soon come. Drier, warmer weather would mean the chances of fire became higher. Stormstar had heard stories about fires in the past. Just a couple of seasons ago a deadly fire had swept through the territory. The Clan had been devastated by that fire, and it took moons for the prey to recover from it.

"WindClan is pressing at the border again," Longtail hissed. "We were ambushed by a passing patrol."

That caught Stormstar's attention. Her ears flattened and she glared when she approached.

"What did you just say?" she demanded when Longtail and Brackenfur looked at her in confusion.

"WindClan cats ambushed us near Fourtrees," Longtail replied. "Aspenpaw... She was badly injured during that battle. They knew she was a fairly new apprentice and took advantage of her." He closed his eyes and looked desperately at Brackenfur, whose own jaw dropped in dismay.

"StarClan, she better be okay for Mudstar's sake!" Brackenfur spat before bounding towards Leafpelt's den.

"This can't be left unpunished," Stormstar growled angrily. "WindClan won't get away with this."

She suddenly bounded over to the Highrock as more cats emerged from the warrior's den to find out what had happened. Mousefur, who must have been part of the patrol, glared at the ground while she listened. Even Squirreltail looked strangely submissive as she thought about what had happened to poor Aspenpaw.

"Cats of ThunderClan, a patrol was wrongly ambushed by WindClan!" Stormstar yowled as more cats began to gather around her. "Because of their ambush, Aspenpaw was badly injured and may not even recover."

Warriors and fellow denmates began to yowl in Stormstar's support. Aspenpaw's littermates exchanged anxious looks as they wondered what had happened to their sister.

"Patrols will be sent out to keep an eye on the border," Stormstar began as the yowling died down. "Mudstar will not get away with this."

Her claws scraped against the stone as she leaped down to join her Clanmates. Murmurs of approval followed her words, and several cats stepped forward to join the battle patrol. Stormstar blinked in surprise when Ashfur fell to the back of the crowd.

The pale gray tom didn't look pleased with the news she had just shared. In fact his dark blue eyes were livid with anger. Stormstar rolled her own eyes and glanced at Brackenfur, who had just emerged from Leafpelt's den.

"She's in stable condition, but it will take time for her to recover," he announced. "Sorreltail's with her right now."

"We're going to fight for what WindClan did to her," she told him.

Brackenfur nodded in approval. His claws flexed beneath the ground as he watched the Clan organize battle patrols.

Brambleclaw was leading the first patrol. His amber eyes glowed with fury as he waited for the orders to strike. Squirreltail quickly joined him, her pelt bristling with outrage. Rainstorm and Sootpelt followed soon after.

Stormstar gave a wave of her tail and padded towards Leafpelt's den. The light brown tabby was giving Aspenpaw's body a careful sniff. Her pelt was bristling slightly, but it was her belly that had caught Stormstar by surprise. Leafpelt's belly was bigger than usual, as if she had been stuffing herself with fresh-kill. Stormstar knew that wasn't possible, because Leafpelt had been avoiding the fresh-kill pile for the past few days.

_She's_... _she is expecting kits_! Stormstar realized. She stared at Leafpelt in alarm before the tabby looked at her in confusion. Sorreltail was sitting with her son at the moment, so she didn't catch the sudden tension that sparked between them.

"I know what you are thinking, and no, it cannot be prevented," Leafpelt meowed calmly. "Aspenpaw will live, but her face... she may want to die when she wakes up."

The tabby's eyes closed as she revealed what she had been hiding. Stormstar's jaw dropped in dismay when she saw that Aspenpaw's face was covered in cobwebs. Similar to the way Brightheart had looked, Aspenpaw looked as though her face had been clawed off.

"I think Brightheart will be able to help," Stormstar murmured. "But for now I need you to get your den ready. We're going to strike back. WindClan won't get away with what they have done."

"I heard what you said during the meeting, and I don't approve," Leafpelt growled. "But you are the leader, so I suppose we have no choice." She added the last part with a shrug, ignoring Stormstar's look of annoyance.

Stormstar narrowed her eyes before backing out of the den. She didn't care what Leafpelt thought about the battle. This was WindClan's fault, and they needed to pay for what they had done to Aspenpaw. She would ensure that WindClan suffered for what they had done to Aspenpaw.

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**AN: So there ya have it. Might be a double update since I've been stuck in the house all day. And yes, Leafpelt is expecting kits. I'm not going to say who it is until the last chapter though :P Maybe even the next book you will find out. Anyways don't forget to leave a review!**


	10. WindClan's Battle

**AN: Here's chapter ten, and it's a battle scene! Hopefully a fairly detailed one too, but not too detailed XD I'm proud of what I turned WindClan into, they just seem so much like ShadowClan don't they? Anyways thanks for your reviews, and enjoy!**

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**Chapter 10**

Stormstar's pelt brushed against the ferns as she led her battle patrol through the forest. Dark clouds had begun to gather around the sky, blocking out the sun. Rain was on its way. Stormstar's whiskers twitched and told her that it would be a nasty storm.

Wind swept past her fur when Stormstar reached Fourtrees. As if they had known ThunderClan would return for revenge, a group of WindClan warriors were waiting for the patrol. Stormstar's lips curled in disgust when she recognized Mudstar amongst the ranks of his cats.

The WindClan leader glared at her coldly when Shadowpelt emerged from the crowd. Stormstar didn't flinch this time when she stared at his scarred face. Part of her knew that he was the one who inflicted those wounds. Mudstar's yellow eyes glittered with pure rage when Stormstar flicked her tail towards the gathering patrol. She knew that there was only one outcome for this battle. ThunderClan had to win no matter what.

"This ends now!" she spat angrily.

Mudstar let out a furious hiss before leaping forward with his claws unsheathed. Stormstar dodged easily to the side and he collided with Sootpelt. The lighter gray tom screeched with rage when he pummeled the dark brown tom with his claws.

Seeing that Mudstar was occupied, Stormstar searched for her next target. She didn't have to wait long as she came nose-to-nose with Crowflight. The dark gray tom didn't look to pleased with the fighting though as he lunged forward. Stormstar hissed in response and slammed her paw across his muzzle.

Crowflight's fur was standing on end as he shook off the pain. Stormstar didn't waste any time in ramming into his chest shortly after he'd recovered. She drew her claws across his nose until blood seeped out of the freshly opened wound.

"You'll pay for what you did to Aspenpaw," Stormstar hissed when she managed to pin Crowflight to the ground.

"We didn't do anything to Aspenpaw!" Crowflight cried. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Stormstar's lips curled in disgust when she drew a claw across his muzzle.

Crowflight let out a wail before dashing off into the trees. Stormstar glared after him and thought about giving chase, but those thoughts were wiped clean when she turned to face Shadowpelt. Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits when she stared at the former rogue.

Shadowpelt looked like he was ready to burst with rage. His yellow eyes glowed with hatred as he glared at her.

"Do you really think that I would let you get away with what you did to me?" he sneered. "You are not the only one who can call upon StarClan for help."

Before she could spit out a reply he barreled into her, teeth fastened around her neck. Stormstar cried out in pain as she tasted blood in the air. She struggled to free herself from the dark tom's grip, but Shadowpelt held on.

"I always knew you were a monster on the inside," she snarled once she tore free from his grip.

Ripping herself free left a freshly opened wound on her neck. She gasped at the intense pain that throbbed from her wound. Shadowpelt grinned madly at her before rushing forward once more.

"You are weak! You always have been and you always will be!" he screeched.

The pain became almost unbearable by the time he was finished with her. Stormstar struggled to her paws, but at the last heartbeat she collapsed to the ground. Black spots clouted her vision before she blacked out for good.

OoOo

When Stormstar's eyes snapped open she found herself in the forest of StarClan. She looked around in confusion until she spotted Arrowstripe. The young tom's eyes were clouded over with sorrow when he glanced down at the ground.

"Stormstar, you have lost your first life," he meowed. "You have eight left. But there is something more... dire to worry about."

"It's about Shadowpelt, isn't it?" she demanded after struggling to her paws. She was standing, and the pain had ebbed away. But her legs were still shaky as she tried to forget about the pain she would feel when she woke up.

"Shadowpelt has darkness in his heart," Arrowstripe murmured. "There was always darkness in his heart. It just needed a reason to be released."

"Arrowstripe, it's my fault he became this way! Take my life instead of the lives of my Clanmates!" Her body shook with rage as she remembered the amount of fury she had felt when she fought WindClan before. This was more than about pride now.

"I cannot simply take someone's life," the tabby suddenly growled. "You must end this battle before more innocent lives are taken."

Stormstar blinked in surprise when Arrowstripe stepped forward. His nose pressed against her forehead, and she felt an intense force of energy surge through her. Once the pain ebbed away she heard the echoes of her Clanmates battling for Fourtrees.

OoOo

Her eyes opened once again to find herself back at Fourtrees. Surprise flared within Stormstar when the scent of RiverClan filled the air. She blinked and got to her paws before wincing in pain.

"Not so tough now without your powers, are you?" Shadowpelt sneered when he loomed over her.

Stormstar gazed at Shadowpelt before slashing out with her unsheathed claws. Shadowpelt jumped back in mock surprise. His lips curled in a snarl when he drew closer. Stormstar was about to fight back when someone knocked Shadowpelt aside.

She jumped to her paws in disbelief when she realized that Crowflight and Mudstar had pinned Shadowpelt down. The two WindClan cats held a paw against Shadowpelt's neck as he struggled for freedom.

"You weren't supposed to kill!" Mudstar spat. "We simply needed more territory!"

"He... attacked Aspenpaw as well," Stormstar rasped when she recovered from the shock. By now most of the fighting had ended as WindClan was pushed away from the forest. Stormstar was left to explain why Shadowpelt had become the way he was now. "It's my fault he is this way," she admitted when Mudstar's cold amber eyes looked upon her.

"Shadowpelt was always ambitious, even when he joined WindClan," Mudstar hissed. "This is one of his many failed attempts at taking over."

He glared coldly at Shadowpelt. The dark gray tom didn't flinch. In fact he returned Mudstar's glare by spitting in frustration. Stormstar rolled her eyes and sighed in exhaustion.

"We have to end this fighting before it gets worse," she meowed. "Fourtrees doesn't belong to anyone. It never has and it never will. We shouldn't hunt here in the first place."

Anger gleamed within Mudstar's eyes before he nodded in agreement. Those were the ancient laws set down by Thunder, River, Wind and Shadow themselves. Nothing would ever change those laws as long as their memories lived on.

"I see now more than ever that your words are true," the WindClan leader reluctantly admitted. "I am sorry that Aspenpaw was injured during such pointless battles. Shadowpelt will receive the full punishment he deserves."

Again Mudstar glared at Shadowpelt. By now the tom lay in exhaustion, breathing heavily as Crowflight stepped back. The two WindClan cats looked at Stormstar before herding their rogue Clanmate back to their own territory.

Stormstar sighed in relief when the fighting ended. Cats lined up around her, bruised and battered but still standing. Ashfur's dark blue eyes gleamed with triumph when he glared at Shadowpelt. Stormstar noticed how he had received less wounds than his Clanmates.

_I'll have to remember this_, she told herself.

"Let's go home," she murmured. It was time they all recovered from the battle.

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**AN: Le gasp! Shadowpelt is definitely one of my favorite characters so far. He's a bit like Frostwind, only more cunning and twisted. You'll find out what happens to him in the next few chapters. Remember to leave a review!**


	11. Tragedy Strikes

**AN: Another shocking chapter for those readers interested. I am definitely enjoying the writing I've done so far :P**

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**Chapter 11**

The Clan trudged back to camp slowly and painfully. By now rain was falling heavily upon the forest. Stormstar's pelt was soaked to the skin as she allowed her Clanmates to go in first. She held her chin up high until the last cat returned to camp. Brambleclaw looked at her warily before ducking inside. Squirreltail bounded after her mate and gasped at the appalling sight.

"We need our medicine cat, now," Stormstar rasped.

"Erm..." Squirreltail ducked her head and stared at the ground. "Leafpelt disappeared a few heartbeats ago," she explained sheepishly. "I'm not sure where she went."

_Probably to meet with her mate_,_ or give birth_, Stormstar thought sourly.

"Cedarpaw, can you look after the injuries?" she asked when the young apprentice emerged from the den. His eyes glowed when he nodded. Without another word he disappeared before reappearing heartbeats later with bundles of herbs clamped between his jaws.

She shook her head in frustration as she wondered what could be done next. The battle had been pointless in the end. Though Aspenpaw was badly injured, she would recover. Mudstar had not known what Shadowpelt did to Aspenpaw. If he had than none of this would have ever happened.

Once Cedarpaw began checking the wounded Stormstar approached Sorreltail warily. The tortoiseshell and white she-cat had been with Aspenpaw while the patrols were sent out. Her amber eyes were dark with worry as she looked up at Stormstar.

"Has she woken up yet?" Stormstar asked.

"No," the queen sighed. "I'm worried about her... Leafpelt says that she is going to recover, but she might wish that she hadn't."

"We need someone who has experienced this kind of injury," Stormstar murmured. Brightheart was the best choice, but she might be offended.

Sorreltail seemed to read her thoughts and nodded in agreement. There was no cat better suited for this job than Brightheart. The white and ginger she-cat would be gentle with Aspenpaw. She would know how to handle the apprentice when she found out about her scars.

Once that was settled Stormstar waited as patiently as she could for Cedarpaw to finish. There were only a few injured cats but he was only just beginning to learn the uses of herbs. Without his mentor he seemed helpless amongst the crowd of warriors.

Leafpaw bounded towards her mentor, nearly tackling Stormstar to the ground in her excitement.

"What was the battle like?" Leafpaw demanded. "Why couldn't we go?"

Stormstar rolled her eyes and pushed her apprentice off.

"The battle ended quickly, and you're too young to experience this kind of fighting," she replied.

"But I've been practicing! Honeypaw says I'm getting better every day!" Leafpaw gave an excited bounce before Stormstar clamped a paw against her tail.

"That doesn't mean you go rushing into battle," Stormstar snapped. Leafpaw gazed at her indignantly before fluffing up her fur with frustration. "I'm sorry, things are just getting complicated right now," she sighed.

"It's okay, Honeypaw and Flamepaw are upset too," Leafpaw suddenly mewed. "I'd be upset too if my sisters got injured in battle."

For a moment Stormstar was confused. Leafpaw only had one sister, until she remembered that Frozenpaw, Echopaw and Riverpaw had been raised alongside her. She couldn't help but purr in amusement when Leafpaw bounded away.

"Brackenfur told me that your wounds were the worst." Stormstar stiffened when Cedarpaw approached her. His green eyes were dark with worry as he chewed the herbs he had grabbed into a poultice. "You lost a life, didn't you?" His question caught her off guard, and Stormstar looked down at her paws in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I did," she admitted.

Cedarpaw remained eerily silent as he applied the herbs to her neck wound. Stormstar tried not to flinch when the poultice stung. She knew from experience that before the wounds healed there would be a great deal of pain. Kits were taught to appreciate the work that medicine cats put into their Clans.

"Those should hold up for now," Cedarpaw meowed when he finished wrapping cobwebs around her wound. "Leafpelt... I wish I knew where she was," he added in a low growl.

_It isn't fair that he has to do this by himself_, Stormstar added silently.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a cat push their way into the gorse tunnel. Stormstar's fur immediately began to bristle until she recognized Larchwing, her former apprentice.

"Leafpelt... she's dead!" Larchwing's wail sent chills down Stormstar's spine.

"Tell me what happened," Stormstar growled after recovering from the shock. She bounded forward and looked down at the smaller cat, who was now trembling.

"Well... she... gave birth and died," Larchwing stammered.

_StarClan, why are you doing this to us_? Stormstar wondered as Sandstorm looked shocked beyond belief. Squirreltail looked like she was ready to claw Larchwing's fur off. Her eyes were narrowed into tiny slits when she glared coldly at the tortoiseshell.

"Show us where she is," Stormstar commanded.

Larchwing looked at her hesitantly before turning around. She pelted through the gorse tunnel with Stormstar close behind. Despite the wounds on her neck Stormstar was desperate to see what had happened.

Stormstar ignored the branches and ferns that smacked across her muzzle. All that mattered was finding Leafpelt before other creatures found it. She knew that the fox was still in the area and might try to steal the kits. Her claws dug into the ground as she imagined the terrified squeals of those kits.

The tortoiseshell she-cat came to a halt near Snakerocks. Stormstar's fur bristled slightly when Larchwing pulled away a pile of leaves concealing what looked like a hollowed out tree. It reminded her of when she had found Frozenpaw and Echopaw, half dead inside the tree itself.

Horror coursed through Stormstar when she saw what she hadn't before. Leafpelt's body was splayed out across the hollow. The stench of blood lay heavily in the air, making her nose wrinkle in disgust. The medicine cat had managed to build a nest for her kits, but not for herself. She seemed to know what fate lay before her.

At the base of her belly were two tiny kits. Stormstar gaped in disbelief when she saw how tiny they were. Their paws were the shape of freshly grown berries. They were smaller than her own kits had been when they were born. Larchwing pressed forward and stared at the kits as well.

"Are we going to take them in?" she asked when Stormstar stepped forward.

"Of course we are," Stormstar replied in a solemn voice. "They are... ThunderClan kits."

She grabbed one of the tiny kits while Larchwing picked up the other. She was surprised that Sandstorm and Squirreltail had not followed them. With a guilty shake of her head she led Larchwing back to camp, ignoring the squealing the kits gave.

"Who's kits are those?" Brambleclaw demanded when the crowd of warriors had dispersed after their return.

"They are ThunderClan kits," Stormstar replied through the bundle of fur. "Let's take them to Whiteleaf."

She didn't bother explaining to Brambleclaw what had happened to Leafpelt. He would find out soon enough when Squirreltail told him.

The two of them entered the nursery without further questioning. Inside the nursery was warm and stuffy. Whiteleaf was curled up with her kits fast asleep. Ferncloud was busy washing her tail until she noticed that Stormstar was in the den.

Whiteleaf's eyes snapped open when the squeal of one of Leafpelt's kits sounded. Almost at once her three kits were woken up. Stormstar sighed and placed the tiny dark gray kit near Whiteleaf's belly. Her Clanmate did the same, placing a light brown gray tabby kit beside the dark gray one.

"Whiteleaf, I understand that you have taken care of so many kits already," Stormstar began. "But these are... Leafpelt's kits. They need a mother who can take care of them."

Ferncloud stared at Stormstar in disbelief while Whiteleaf sniffed disdainfully.

"Where is Leafpelt? She should have her name stripped and be banished from the Clan!" Ferncloud hissed.

"Leafpelt was already punished for her crime." Stormstar swallowed and stared down at the ground in shame and sorrow. "She died giving birth."

Ferncloud's eyes widened. Whiteleaf bowed her head and looked at the two kits who were now mewling for milk.

"I will take them," Whiteleaf murmured. "Have you named them yet?"

"This kit will be called Skykit," Stormstar explained when her tail pointed towards the dark gray she-kit. "And this one will be called Stonekit." She pointed her tail once more to the light brown gray tabby tom.

Whiteleaf nodded and accepted the kits without further question. Skykit and Stonekit were accepted before Ferncloud could argue. The two kits would feel accepted by their new mother. Stormstar knew that they would not be pulled aside for what had happened.


	12. Aspenpaw Wakes Up

**AN: Here's the next chapter! I might update my one-shot book too depending on how much time I have. Or this might get a double update, not entirely sure. Happy holidays if I don't update at all! And, I survived 12:21:12!**

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**Chapter 12**

A wail sounded from within the medicine cat's den. Stormstar was jolted awake by the horrible sound. She peered outside her den to see that other cats had crept out to see what had happened. The anguished sound had come from Aspenpaw. Stormstar sighed in sadness and wrapped her tail around her paws when Squirreltail approached her. The dark ginger she-cat had been spending the last few days with Sorreltail after the tortoiseshell and white she-cat had lost her best friend.

"Aspenpaw woke up... she found out what happened," Squirreltail murmured after Stormstar tilted her head to one side. "Cedarpaw said that she would be in shock when she woke up."

"Will she live?" Stormstar was more concerned for Sorreltail's health than anything else. Sorreltail had already lost her best friend. The last thing she needed was to lose her daughter as well. She shook her head when Squirreltail sighed in frustration.

"Yes, she will," Squirreltail replied. "But Cedarpaw said she's going to regret living."

Stormstar rolled her eyes and strolled past the dark ginger she-cat, ignoring Squirreltail's hiss of annoyance. Leafpaw and her littermates were already wide-awake. They were aware that something had happened. With dawn barely approaching most of the Clan had been woken up early.

_At least we can get the day started early_, Stormstar thought with a guilty shake of her head.

She approached the medicine cat's den warily. Brackenfur and Sorreltail were already inside, watching their son as he kept an eye on Aspenpaw. Stormstar wished that she could provide more than the comfort of words. Brackenfur was a good father to his kits, and Sorreltail was the protective young mother any kits needed. Aspenpaw would make it through this just like Brightheart had all of those moons ago.

"Keep an eye on her," Stormstar meowed. "If she changes in attitude we may need someone to stay with her at all times."

The medicine cat apprentice looked at Stormstar in disbelief before nodding. He knew better than to argue with his leader, especially if it involved his sister. Stormstar was thankful that Leafpelt had taught him the medicine cat code and the warrior code as well.

"We should get some training done," she added when she approached Leafpaw. The apprentices were still gathered around their den, exchanging worried glances. Flamepaw and Honeypaw especially looked worried as they wondered what would happen to their sister. "She'll be fine. She just needs rest and the comfort of her family," she added to the two young cats.

Flamepaw looked at her incredulously while Honeypaw simply shook her head. She knew that it would take time and patience for them to recover from the shock of what had happened. Just like Aspenpaw herself they would need to be strong throughout the ordeal.

"Come on, let's get going," she meowed with a wave of her tail.

Leafpaw bounded forward, paws trudging against the ground as she did so. Stormstar knew that she was worried about her friend. So she decided that today would be a great reason to distract Leafpaw from her regular duties.

Thankful to be outside of camp, Stormstar enjoyed the warm sun that bathed her dark colored pelt. With newleaf coming to a close greenleaf would bring the offer of warmth and plenty of prey. Stormstar was more than pleased with the idea of more prey. The Clan would certainly need it with so many mouths to feed.

"Today we're going to practice your fighting skills," Stormstar announced when they reached the training hollow. "It's been ages since I've taught you anything, so you need to show me what you've learned."

The apprentice looked at her warily before bounding forward. Stormstar sighed and dodged to the side, avoiding Leafpaw's blow. Leafpaw hissed in frustration and spun around, only to be swatted away by her mentor's paws.

"You need to learn some patience," Stormstar told Leafpaw when her apprentice sprang to her paws once more. "Try using your tail as balance, weave in and out of larger opponents and nip at their paws. Once they've been taken by surprise a larger cat can finish the job."

This time Leafpaw was more careful about the way she moved. She leaped under Stormstar's paws and managed to strike a few blows before quickly leaping away. Stormstar didn't have the chance to strike back when Leafpaw managed to jump on her shoulders.

Amusement washed over Stormstar before she rolled to the ground. Leafpaw jumped off just in time to avoid getting crushed.

"Not bad," she purred after Leafpaw shook the dust from her fur. "Why don't we go hunting before we get back?" she suggested.

For once Leafpaw didn't argue. Instead she stopped and listened to the sounds around her. Prey was rustling all around them despite being so close to the training hollow. Stormstar's keen senses indicated that a sparrow was nearby pecking at the ground.

She dropped into a hunter's crouch and avoided Leafpaw's gaze. She wanted to show her apprentice just how strong of a hunter she was. Within the following heartbeat the sparrow was dangling limply from her jaws. Leafpaw was distracted however when she caught the scent of mouse in the air.

Stormstar buried her sparrow nearby and followed her apprentice's scent to the base of an oak tree. Sure enough there was a mouse hiding near the roots, washing it's face. Such careless actions would likely ensure that it was caught. Leafpaw didn't waste any time in jumping forward so that the mouse was caught between her claws. The mouse let out a squeal before Leafpaw took it's life. Stormstar silently cursed the mouse for scaring away any prey that was left in the forest.

"We'll just have to come back later for more prey," she muttered when Leafpaw wrapped her tail around her paws.

"Can we give this to Aspenpaw? I wanna see her before we go out again. I can't believe what happened to her!" Everything Leafpaw said came out in a rush when she was allowed to speak.

Amusement washed over the black, silver and gray she-cat once more. Leafpaw didn't know how to stop herself from talking. Instead she tried to say everything that was on her mind without thinking of the consequences. Such actions could be dangerous, especially at Gatherings.

"Leafpaw, you need to learn how to control your speech," she meowed when she looked at her apprentice sternly. "If you don't think before you speak you could give away valuable information to the other Clans. We wouldn't want that now would we?"

The pale ginger she-cat shook her head. "But I just love talking so much! Why can't we talk like other cats do?" she demanded.

"Sometimes there is a thing such as talking too much," Stormstar purred. "Now come on, let's get going. You can give that mouse to Aspenpaw."

She rose to her paws and ignored Leafpaw's look of annoyance. She grabbed the sparrow that had been buried and led Leafpaw back towards the camp. Ferns and leaves brushed against her muzzle, and by the time they reached the gorse tunnel, she felt the need to wash her fur once more.

Once they were back in camp Stormstar bounded over to the elder's den. Goldenflower and Frostfur were outside gossiping about what had happened earlier that morning. Stormstar nodded to them both and approached the den warily. There was a reason she had come to visit the elders, and gossiping wasn't that reason.

Cloudtail was sitting in the back of the den, his back to the entrance. Stormstar sighed between the sparrow in her jaws and approached him. The long-haired white warrior was still blaming himself for what had happened during that patrol. Stormstar knew that it was her fault he had lost his leg. She still had not quite forgiven herself for what had happened.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for this accident," she murmured when she dropped the sparrow on his nest.

Cloudtail whirled around, fur bristling slightly until he realized who it was speaking.

"I don't blame myself," he snorted. "I..." He broke off when Stormstar narrowed her eyes.

"You haven't left the den since you became an elder," she rasped. "It's time you got over it. Be thankful that you are still alive."

She rolled her eyes before leaving him blinking in disbelief. She was angry that he had not forgiven himself for his injury. Cloudtail was as stubborn as Sandstorm and Firestar combined.

_Let the old fool believe that he is useless_, she told herself. _I have a Clan to take care of_.


	13. Morning Activities

**AN: So sorry for the delayed update, but as a Christmas present I finally did! Yep, it's a short chapter but it's better than nothing :P**

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**Chapter 13**

Night fell upon the forest rather quickly for late newleaf. The air was cool and damp. Around the tom the forest seemed to anticipate his every move. This was his final push to gaining control over the Clans. If he did not act now the Clans would grow suspicious of his late-night activities. He could not, _would not_, allow the Clans to interfere with his plans.

This time he was going to avenge Frostwind's death. This time he would see to it that her plans succeeded. Where she failed he would become the strongest and most feared leader of the forest and Twolegplace. No cat would ever dare challenge him again.

. . .

Morning had arrived all too quickly for Stormstar. She groaned and stretched out her back as she thought of what had to be done that day. The Clan would need to be fed. She would take Leafpaw out for battle training later on. Aspenpaw needed to be checked on. She would need to visit Whiteleaf and check on Leafpelt's kits.

_Just the normal day of a leader_, she thought when she padded out of her den.

She grabbed a mouse from the fresh-kill pile and began to eat it silently. A few warriors were already awake, either grooming themselves or leaving for patrols. Stormstar was glad to sit by herself rather than be pestered by countless warriors.

There was enough going on in her life that she didn't need someone complaining about something else. Her thoughts were churning with anxiety as she recalled what had happened to Aspenpaw. They were also constantly forcing her to remember the battle with WindClan and the look on Shadowpelt's face when he was stopped.

"I'm taking the apprentices out for some training." Stormstar nearly leaped out of her fur when Sandstorm approached her. The pale ginger she-cat tilted her head in amusement before looking away. "I thought it would be a good idea to distract them for a while. You know, hold a contest for them." She added the last part with a shrug.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Stormstar replied. "The apprentices have been feeling a bit down since everything that has happened."

"So when should we go out?" Sandstorm asked.

"We can go as soon as they're all awake," Stormstar told her.

Sandstorm nodded in agreement before bounding off to tell the other mentors. Stormstar sighed when she realized that she would have to work alongside her least favorite Clanmate. His name alone was enough to send surges of anger through her. Ashfur. Lowlife good for nothing traitor.

The ThunderClan leader tried to shake away the thoughts as she groomed herself. Now was not the time to get angry with her Clanmates. If what she thought was happening was true, than they needed to trust one another now more than ever.

It didn't take long for the apprentices to wake up after receiving a visit from Sandstorm. As usual Leafpaw was the first to roll out of the den head-first. Stormstar purred in amusement when Leafpaw shook leaves off of her ear. Shalepaw and Emberpaw grinned at her before they were nearly tackled by Flamepaw and Honeypaw. Riverpaw, Frozenpaw and Echopaw were the last to emerge from the den.

"Come on furballs, time to see who's the best apprentice," Flamepaw meowed.

Stormstar rolled her eyes at his arrogant attitude and wondered where he had gotten it from. Cinderpelt had certainly never been this arrogant, and Brackenfur was never this way. She remembered the way Thornclaw had behaved at times when he let his pride show.

_Maybe he got it from his uncle_, she decided after flicking her tail from side to side. It didn't take Leafpaw long to use her tail as practice for the upcoming contest. Stormstar pulled it aside and hissed in annoyance.

"Save your energy for the contest," she muttered crossly.

The apprentice stared at her in annoyance before nodding. Sometimes it was better to ignore Leafpaw, especially at this moment.

It was almost sunhigh by the time everyone was ready to leave. Stormstar rose to her paws shortly after she was finished grooming herself. Mentors and apprentices waited for her while she took the lead. Sandstorm looked pleased with herself when her suggestion was taken seriously.

"We're going to hold a contest," Stormstar explained. "We will test your hunting skills, fighting skills and tracking skills. Who ever wins does not have to clean out the elder's den for a moon, and you will go to the Gathering whether you have been bad or good."

All of the apprentices looked excited about that prospect. Stormstar knew that it was risky to let them take advantage of the prize. She glanced at Sandstorm, who seemed to have read her thoughts.

"No cat will use their claws during the fighting competition, is that understood?" she growled.

When the apprentices nodded almost as one, Sandstorm purred. Stormstar would have purred as well if there weren't so many warriors watching her.

_This is going to be an interesting day_, she thought with another sigh.


	14. The Contest

**AN: Here's the next chapter. Kind of skipped through most of the contest ^^" Sorry about that, but I'm not very good at writing out scenes like that. Anyways thanks everyone for your reviews, hope you had a good Christmas and enjoyed it :)**

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**Chapter 14**

The contest ran smoothly for most of the day. All of the apprentices were eager to show how much they had grown in skill and strength. Riverpaw especially wanted to show the group of mentors just how skilled she was. Stormstar had noticed the ambition within her eyes that morning.

_What if_... _what if she is like her father_? Stormstar wondered. The last thing she wanted was to think about that traitor. Riverpaw was her kit and that was what mattered. Every cat knew that he was her father, but they had come to accept her.

Stormstar shook her head and tried to block out the thoughts that she knew wouldn't leave her. The apprentices were getting ready for the strength part of their contests. They would have to fight one another until a victor was decided. All eight mentors stood around the training hollow while their paired apprentices sparred.

Riverpaw was quick to show her fighting skills as she managed to pin a larger Flamepaw to the ground. The dark ginger tom growled in frustration and tried kicking her off. Riverpaw seemed to know what he was going to do before it happened. She jumped off of him just before he could thrash out his legs. Flamepaw hissed once more and spun around, only to feel the sting of her paws against his muzzle.

"I think we have a winner!" Ashfur announced when he stood beside Riverpaw. Flamepaw's glare was obvious as he looked away from his denmate. Stormstar rolled her eyes when she saw the smug look Ashfur gave Flamepaw. There were times she wished she could put that tom in his place. Ashfur was acting more like a spoiled brat than a mentor. "I think we know who's going to win this contest," he boasted when the other apprentices had finished sparring.

"Think again mousebrain, this isn't over yet," Brambleclaw snorted. His amber eyes were blazing with anger when he glared at Ashfur. Even Brambleclaw was beginning to notice the change in Ashfur's attitude. Stormstar hoped that more cats would begin to notice that something was wrong.

"Last of the strength contest is about to begin. The final four who have won their battles can begin now," Stormstar meowed after shaking her head in annoyance.

Leafpaw had surprisingly won one of the contests. Her pelt bristled with excitement as she bounded towards Emberpaw, whose focus was distracted at the moment. The ginger-brown she-cat squeaked in surprise when Leafpaw barreled into her.

"Always pay attention!" Leafpaw yowled when she pummeled her sister with tiny paws.

"And don't turn your back on your opponent," Emberpaw yowled back when she managed to ram into Leafpaw's shoulder. The two apprentices continued struggling for a few heartbeats before Emberpaw finally gave in. She huffed and raised her tail in defeat.

"Leafpaw and Riverpaw are the finalists," Stormstar meowed when the fighting was finished.

Riverpaw's eyes glowed with pride while Leafpaw's tail waved in satisfaction. Stormstar knew that both apprentices would make fine warriors when the time came. They were more than ready to visit their first Gathering as apprentices. She was reluctant to bring Leafpaw, but sooner or later her apprentice would have to go.

Once the contest was over all of the apprentices and their mentors returned to camp. The day wore on as though nothing had happened. Clouds were gathering across the sky, telling Stormstar that rain would soon come. She didn't mind the rain though, especially this late in newleaf. Drier weather meant that fires were more likely to break out during greenleaf. The last thing she wanted was the Clan to suffer another fire.

_From what Firestar told me, the last fire was devastating to the forest_, she thought.

Surprise flared within Stormstar when she saw that Cedarpaw was outside the medicine cat's den. His green eyes were dark with worry as he watched the other apprentices trot into camp proudly. Riverpaw stayed apart from the group while Frozenpaw and Echopaw chattered excitedly about their fighting moves.

"Is everything alright with Aspenpaw?" Stormstar asked when she was alone with the medicine cat.

"I'm not sure," he admitted guiltily. "I mean, she keeps muttering in her sleep and she asked me if she could see her face when she woke up. It's like she doesn't want to believe what happened to her."

"I understand why she is so worried," Stormstar sighed. "She thinks that no cat will accept her when she recovers."

Cedarpaw's claws dug into the ground when she mentioned the acceptance part. Stormstar knew that it would take time for Aspenpaw to recover. The apprentice had been badly wounded during her fight against Shadowpelt. It wasn't just her face that was scarred. It was her memories and emotions that had been scarred as well.

"Is there any herb that can cure what she feels?" Stormstar knew that her question was rather mousebrained. Of course there wouldn't be an herb to soothe scarred emotions. As if he had read her thoughts Cedarpaw shook his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Of course not," he grunted. "Otherwise I would've used them already. Just make sure that she gets the attention she deserves."

With those final words he left Stormstar standing alone. Her eyes widened before she shook her head in defeat. Aspenpaw was in the paws of StarClan now. Only they could repair the damages Shadowpelt had inflicted.


	15. A Familiar Face

**AN: This chapter is really short, and slightly fillerish. But at least I've managed to update what with getting a few iTunes cards and all XD I've finally finished getting what I've wanted on iTunes, so I may be away for a while again. Anyways thanks everyone for your reviews! Next chapter will hopefully be longer and less boring.**

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**Chapter 15**

A day had passed since the contest. Most of the apprentices had stopped worrying about Aspenpaw, but her littermates constantly visited the medicine cat's den. In truth Aspenpaw had refused to leave the den since she woke up from her wounds. The young cat was afraid of what the Clan would think when they saw her. But most of the Clan had already visited the young cat during their morning activities. She didn't seem to realize that it didn't matter what she looked like on the inside.

Stormstar knew that it was up to Aspenpaw to recover from her scars. In the meantime she needed to think of what to do about Ashfur. He was vanishing in the middle of the night according to the guards. The pale gray tom wouldn't return from his nightly runs until well past moonhigh.

_Something is going on with him_, Stormstar thought with an irritated sigh. She wished she could use her mind-reading power, but StarClan had taken them away. There was no way she could convince him to stop meeting with whoever he was meeting with. He had been acting strange ever since he'd followed Frostwind.

"Stormstar, the sunhigh patrol just returned," Brackenfur meowed when he approached her. He had been taking his duty seriously ever since Aspenpaw woke up. Stormstar had a feeling that he was trying to avoid her best as he could.

"Have they scented anything new?" she demanded after yawning and shaking her head.

"A stranger has been seen near the edge of the border," the golden brown tabby replied. "No one's sure where they came from or what the scent is, but they're wary of it."

Stormstar sighed in frustration when he gave her a vague description. This was going to end in another wild chase. Her Clan needed to prepare for the worst with Shadowpelt and Ashfur on the loose. She knew that a battle was close to coming after everything that had happened between WindClan and ThunderClan.

"Thank you for sharing this news with me," she sighed before getting to her paws.

Brackenfur dipped his head respectfully before joining Sorreltail beside the warrior's den. The tortoiseshell and white queen spent most of her time with either Brackenfur or Aspenpaw nowadays. Stormstar glanced at her kits and noticed the rueful glares they sent their mother.

_They shouldn't feel jealous of the attention Aspenpaw's getting_, she thought. She remembered feeling jealous of the attention Squirreltail had received when they were kits in the nursery. Squirreltail had gotten a thorn stuck in her paw somehow. Most of the Clan had spent their morning soothing her while Stormstar and Leafpelt sat in the back of the nursery.

She rolled her eyes and tried not to think about it as she focused on the clearing itself. Leafpaw and Riverpaw were busy chatting about how they won the contest with the elders. The other apprentices had been taken out for battle training soon after Brackenfur finished sharing his news with Stormstar. All in all the camp was strangely quiet.

"Come on Leafpaw, we should go hunting before the day ends," Stormstar meowed when she approached her apprentice. Riverpaw looked up at her expectantly, but Stormstar simply glanced away guiltily. She couldn't meet her daughter's gaze. Not after everything she had seen the day before. "The fresh-kill pile isn't going to fill itself up," she added when Leafpaw narrowed her eyes.

"Fine, but I'm betting I can catch at least three mice today!" Leafpaw announced when she jumped to her paws.

"I'll make sure I remember that bet," Stormstar told her. "If you don't catch that many I may forget about the contest."

She winked at Leafpaw playfully before bounding ahead. Stormstar relished in the freedom the forest provided her. She couldn't help but feel like a kit once she was out alone with her apprentice. Leafpaw especially seemed to enjoy the freedom.

The black, silver and gray she-cat suddenly skidded to a halt when she heard the sounds of pawsteps ahead. Her ears pricked forward in alarm as she found strange scents filling the air. Stormstar's eyes widened in shock when she realized that they were not alone. And the scent did not belong to ThunderClan.

"Leafpaw, go and worn the Clan," she hissed when her apprentice trotted towards her.

Leafpaw's tail curled before she nodded and bounded away. Stormstar crouched behind a boulder and listened to the forest around her. The birds were no longer singing, and any prey that had been around earlier had been scared off.

Dismay swept over Stormstar when she realized that the intruder was none other than Shadowpelt. He emerged from the undergrowth, his dark pelt well groomed as he held his chin high. Beside him was a group of powerful looking rogues. And this time he was bent on getting his revenge.


	16. Stormstar's Battle

**AN: So to kick off the new year I'm giving you all a new chapter! The next one is going to be the last one, so enjoy the chapter while you can. I'll be posting the summary for book five on my profile shortly after this is uploaded. Thanks everyone for your awesome reviews, and hope you had an awesome new year!**

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**Chapter 16**

Leafpaw managed to reach the camp within heartbeats. Her breathing was quick and labored as she looked around in panic. Brackenfur was sitting beside Sorreltail as usual. Leafpaw knew she needed to reach him before the rogues overwhelmed her mentor.

_StarClan keep her safe_, Leafpaw thought as she surged forward.

The golden brown tabby blinked in surprise when Leafpaw approached him. She managed to catch her breath and stared at Brackenfur in alarm.

"Intruders... in... the... forest," she panted before nearly reeling over.

Brackenfur stared at her in shock before jumping to his paws.

"I want every able warrior to come with me!" he yowled. "No apprentices. If this is what I think it it, it is better to keep them out of the battle."

He looked down at Leafpaw, who was ready to argue. She closed her jaws and realized that she had no choice. All of that running had exhausted her. She would be of no use during the battle.

She watched as cats bounded forward to join Brackenfur. Her heart leapt when she watched her mother and father join. Every part of Leafpaw wanted to be with Squirreltail during the battle. Squirreltail had always been there for her. It was time she repaid the favor.

"Is everyone ready?" Brackenfur demanded when a large group of warriors joined him.

When no cat argued he bounded through the gorse tunnel, eager to lead the Clan into battle. Leafpaw sat there and watched anxiously. Silently she prayed that no cat was killed during the battle. But she knew that this was one battle where lives would be lost.

OoOo

Stormstar wriggled her haunches slightly. She crouched lower to the ground when Shadowpelt whispered something to the rogues around him. Their claws were unsheathed as they listened eagerly. These were bloodthirsty rogues bent on wiping out the Clan.

_I won't let that happen_, she told herself. _I've watched too many cats die because of the loners we found in the mountains_. It's time they paid for what they did to the Clans.

With a mighty yowl she leapt out of the bushes and over the boulder. Shadowpelt's ears flicked back at the sound. The rogues were instantly wary of the newcomer.

"Well look at what we have here," Shadowpelt sneered when he turned around to face her.

Stormstar flinched when she saw the ugly scar on his face. The fur that had been burned away showed skin around his muzzle and face. Shadowpelt's yellow eyes only made things worse.

"Do what you want with me," she rasped. "Don't take out your anger on the Clans."

The dark gray tom simply grinned, revealing a row of yellow-stained teeth.

"I am not finished with the Clans," he growled. "Once you and your pathetic ThunderClan are wiped out I will take over the rest of this forest."

"And what of the rogues?" Stormstar glanced at the large, formidable looking group.

"They will have hunting rights on my large territory," he replied. "Now then, you were ready to give your life to the Clan."

With a smirk Shadowpelt raised his unsheathed claws. Stormstar braced herself for the pain that was about to be inflicted. After what she had done to Shadowpelt she deserved this.

The former WindClan tom's claws made contact with her fur. A yowl escaped from her lungs as pain erupted on the spot. She was sent flying across the undergrowth and slammed into the boulder. Shadowpelt's claws had pierced through her skin, sending bolts of pain through her.

Her eyes closed before she heard the purrs of amusement from the rogues. They enjoyed watching this kind of pain. This was their way of passing the time. And Stormstar was their latest victim.

OoOo

When her eyes snapped open Stormstar found herself in a familiar place. She gasped when she recognized Arrowstripe amongst the group. The former ShadowClan warrior's eyes were filled with sorrow when he looked at her.

"You have lost your first life," he rasped. "You have eight left."

"Arrowstripe, isn't their some way to give me back my powers?" Stormstar asked. She was surprised to feel no pain when she stepped forward.

_I slammed into that boulder_! she reminded herself._ Surely my back would be broken_?

"I am afraid you will have to stop this battle on your own," the light brown tabby meowed.

She didn't have a chance to find out what he meant by those words. Stormstar was sent back to the living world as she heard the sounds of battle erupt around her.

She jumped to her paws to see that the Clan had found her. Leafpaw had done her job successfully. Now she was surrounded by her Clanmates as they fought off the rogues.

Without warning she lunged forward into the crowd of fighting cats. Stormstar didn't bother saying a word as she wrestled with a tom that was twice her size. His lips were curled in a defiant sneer as he tried to kick her off.

The rogue's teeth were bared in a snarl as he swiped his claws across her muzzle. Stormstar hissed in frustration and pain as she shook off the blood that seeped from yet another wound. The tom was a formidable opponent and he kept her at bay.

"You and your Clan cats will all suffer at the claws of our gang!" the tom spat when he pinned her to the ground.

Stormstar snarled in defiance and managed to kick him off. The tom snarled in surprise at her sudden retaliation before she managed to strike at his chest.

"And you are going to suffer for trespassing Clan territory!" Stormstar yowled when she slammed her paws into the tom's shoulders.

He recoiled in shock at the impact. The rogue was sent fleeing from the battle with his tail tucked between his legs. Stormstar trembled as she stood rigid with disbelief. This battle was beginning to overwhelm them all.

She knew that there was only one way to end this battle. Kill Shadowpelt once and for all, and the rogues would flee. It wasn't just Aspenpaw's life that she was fighting for now. It was her Clan that she needed to fight for.


	17. Sacrifice

**AN: You can thank Casting Crowns for this depressing chapter XP Their music isn't depressing, but it can be sad at times. It's hard to explain... I suppose emotional would be the best way to describe it. Or powerful. Anyways this is the second last chapter, next one will be posted tomorrow and than I will work on Burning Flames next :D Can't wait for that one!**

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**Chapter 17**

The snarl of a rogue erupted in Stormstar's ears. She hissed in disgust and swatted a claw across their face. The rogue shrieked in alarm and raced away before she could inflict more damage. The battle was slowly coming to an end, but to her surprise. Most of the rogues had fled after seeing all of the warriors. Shadowpelt and a few brave or mousebrained rogues remained, fighting side by side as they tried to keep their enemies at bay.

"Shadowpelt, this has to end now!" Stormstar spat when she sprang forward. Many of her own Clanmates were badly wounded from their fights. She knew that there was only one way to end this battle. To either kill Shadowpelt or send him away for good.

The dark gray warrior raised his head slightly at her challenge. Cats backed out of the way when he approached her. The look of content in his eyes sent shivers of rage through her. He was enjoying this battle! That only meant he was nothing more than a bloodthirsty tyrant!

"Do you know why I joined the Clans?" he demanded in a cold voice. Stormstar shook her head, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer to his question. "I joined so that I could have power and learn the ways of fighting. I knew little about fighting when I lived in the mountains. Now that I know, these rogues follow my every command. They know what I am capable of... they know what I will do to the Clans once you and this pathetic ThunderClan are destroyed!"

Pure rage burned within Stormstar as she felt the sting of his claws across her face. She couldn't hold back the anger that churned within her. Shadowpelt had ruined everything in the Clans. He had been friendly the first time they met in the mountains. But it was all an act. She understood now that he had wanted the Clans to trust him. He wanted Frostwind and the other rogues to trust him.

Stormstar lunged forward and managed to rip her teeth across his left ear. Shadowpelt screeched in pain as she heard fur ripping. Using her anger one last time Stormstar managed to slam into his shoulders, sending the larger tom to the ground.

"I am not going to lose to some she-cat!" Shadowpelt spat when he suddenly jumped to his paws. Despite the bleeding on his ear he seemed to recovery quickly.

The former WindClan warrior lunged forward once more. He used his claws for traction against the undergrowth. Stormstar realized what he was about to do. It was the same move that Leafpaw had used on her during one of their training sessions. She grinned slightly and dodged to the side, letting Shadowpelt land in the leaves.

"And I'm not about to let you take control of the forest," she snarled as she spun around and dug her claws into his vulnerable back.

Shadowpelt shrieked in fury as she tore at his fur. She wasn't going to give up without a fight - not when they had gotten this far.

Her claws sank into skin once again before Shadowpelt could recover from the wounds she had inflicted. This time she was not holding back. She didn't care how much pain she caused him. As long as he died in the end, that was what mattered.

The tom had suddenly stopped struggling after she landed a heavier blow on his neck. Stormstar stepped back in surprise. Had he finally been killed?

As if her silent question had been answered, his eyes flashed open. She let out a gasp of shock when he managed to knock her aside with his front paws. She fell to the ground on her back where cats jumped out of the way during their fight.

Shadowpelt was about to slam his claws into her throat when something whirled in front of him. Stormstar cried out in disbelief when the creature had taken the blow.

Panic gripped at Stormstar's heart when she staggered to her paws. She realized that the small creature had tortoiseshell fur. Her mind spun with questions until she recognized Aspenpaw's scent among the blood and rogues.

"Aspenpaw!" Sorreltail's screech sounded from within the crowd of warriors.

She wasted no time in lunging forward to attack Shadowpelt, whose face was twisted in fury and confusion.

"What a waste of an apprentice," he sneered venomously.

By now every warrior was racing towards Shadowpelt. Stormstar watched the scene unfold in disbelief. They were working together to stop him. Silently she corrected herself when she realized that they were _killing_ him.

Stormstar was shocked by the amount of anger Brackenfur and Sorreltail showed. She reminded herself not to get on their bad side as Shadowpelt shrieked in fury. He was held down to the ground with one paw on his neck and several warriors crouched around him.

"This ends now," Stormstar spat. "You've caused too much pain for my Clan."

Without warning she lunged forward with her jaws wide open. Brackenfur stepped back just in time to let her sink her teeth into Shadowpelt's throat.

Shadowpelt let out a few gurgling cries before his body trembled one last time. Stormstar shivered with fear when she tasted blood in her mouth. She hated the taste and suddenly wished that there was no need for death.

"It is done," she rasped after spitting out fur and blood.

"You lost a life, didn't you?" Squirreltail asked. When Stormstar nodded, the dark ginger she-cat's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. She glared at Shadowpelt's body before joining Sorreltail and Brackenfur.

They were sitting beside Aspenpaw's crumpled body. The young cat had given her life to keep Shadowpelt from inflicting serious injuries on her leader.

"Aspenpaw... how did you escape from Cedarpaw?" Brackenfur demanded when he nuzzled his daughter sadly.

"She's gone," Sorreltail wailed.

"Her memory will be honored in the Clan," Stormstar murmured. She hated what Shadowpelt had done to Aspenpaw. It was because of her injuries that Aspenpaw sacrificed herself. "And she will be welcomed in StarClan," she added when Sorreltail looked at her.

The Clan would always remember Aspenpaw for what she had been through. And Stormstar knew that she would never forget Aspenpaw or what Shadowpelt had done to her.


	18. Storm

**AN: I lied, a fast update and the sequel will likely be out later today! Thanks everyone for keeping up and enjoy this final chapter and installment of Stormstar's point of view :P**

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**Chapter 18**

The journey back to camp had been long and difficult for Stormstar. Brackenfur and Sorreltail carried Aspenpaw's body. Squirreltail stayed beside Brambleclaw while he watched them. The whole Clan seemed to be mourning Aspenpaw's death. Shadowpelt's body would have to be taken to the WindClan border, but that could wait.

All that mattered now was getting back home to tell the Clan what Aspenpaw had done.

Her paws seemed to drag across the ground when Stormstar reached the gorse tunnel. Already cats were waiting for her while the others pressed on. The few warriors that had remained were eager to hear about the battle.

Larchwing, Ferncloud, Sandstorm and Ashfur had been told to stay behind and guard the camp. Stormstar noticed that Ashfur's eyes widened in shock when he saw Aspenpaw's body for the first time. Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits when she glared at him.

_This is all your fault_! she thought venomously. _If you hadn't led Shadowpelt to ThunderClan none of this would have happened_!

Her accusing glare seemed to make Ashfur flinch. The speckled gray tom simply ducked under the safety of the warrior's den just to avoid her glare. She approached the warrior's den warily, her muscles still heavy with exhaustion from the battle. No cat tried to stop her from reaching her destination.

"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded in a low snarl when she reached the den.

Ashfur froze in midstep. He suddenly whirled around, fur bristling slightly in half-embarrassment and half-horror.

"I... erm, I..." He was at a loss of words. Riverpaw and the other apprentices were watching him with interest as he struggled to explain where he was going. "We need to talk... but not here," he finally rasped.

Stormstar glanced at the cats that had surrounded Aspenpaw and her family. She wanted to sit vigil for Aspenpaw, but this was more important than anything else.

"Brackenfur, I'm going out for a few moments," she meowed when she approached the deputy. Brackenfur tilted his head to one side before nodding. "I'll be back to sit vigil," she whispered before bounding after the cat she hated most.

The forest seemed to whirl past Stormstar until she came to a halt in front of Ashfur. He was standing under the base of an ancient looking oak tree. His fur was still bristling slightly, and he had a haunted look to his face.

For the first time in moons, Stormstar realized that there was more to Ashfur than she remembered. Maybe this was what he'd wanted to talk about.

"Now talk before I decide your punishment," she snapped when he refused to meet her fierce gaze.

Ashfur flinched once again before taking a deep breath, "First, I should explain why I did what I did. I wasn't myself when Frostwind first came to the Clans. You remember how Graystripe acted when she was taken to camp, right?"

Stormstar nodded at the memories of losing Graystripe. That had been hard, having to kill the deputy because he was under Frostwind's control.

"Well, ever since Frostwind died Shadowpelt took her place. He had a mate and kits with a cat from WindClan... I think she died giving birth on our territory. That's why you found those kits."

_That would explain why you left the camp as soon as I found them_, she added silently.

"Don't tell them who their father is," Ashfur suddenly said when her tail flicked irritably. "If they find out they will never be the same. Anyways, after that I wanted to rule the Clan more than anything else. He promised to give me power if I helped overthrow you. Unfortunately my plans failed miserably. He threatened to tell the Clans what I did if I ever told them about _his_ plans."

A shudder coursed down Stormstar's spine as she recalled the look of malice within Shadowpelt's eyes. She could understand why Ashfur had been so afraid. But that didn't help her forgive him for what he'd done to the Clan.

"I'm sorry for what happened to Aspenpaw. What Shadowpelt did was... evil. I'm leaving the Clan. I'm punishing myself." Ashfur's words made Stormstar look at him in surprise.

"I... are you sure?" she asked wryly. Though she was still angry with Ashfur there was no reason for him to exile himself.

"Yes, I am sure," the speckled gray tom replied with a firm nod. "I want to leave and explore the land. What I did, I am not forgiving myself. Brindleface will understand why I left, and so will Ferncloud."

Stormstar blinked in surprise and disbelief at Ashfur's words. The pale gray tom simply shrugged and looked away as if they meant nothing to the Clan.

"You will be... missed," she murmured, swallowing back the vile that rose in her throat.

Ashfur gave her a look that said he would not be missed.

"Sorreltail needs an apprentice," he suddenly meowed. "Tell her that she can train Riverpaw."

Before Stormstar could complain, he bounded away, leaving her alone under the oak. She was left standing there in shock. Everything Ashfur had worked for was washed away the moment he left. He was now a rogue living beyond Clan borders.

_I will make sure that the Clan keeps an eye on you_, she thought with a lash of her tail. For now she needed to get back and tell the Clan what she had learned.

OoOo

The Clan was shocked when Stormstar told them what Ashfur had told her. Ferncloud's eyes widened in disbelief before she dropped to the ground in anguish. She had already lost her mother and now her brother was gone. Dustpelt pressed against her comfortingly and whispered something in her ear. Ferncloud relaxed slightly before looking back up at Stormstar, who was perched over the Highrock.

"And as such I must give Riverpaw a new mentor," she finished when silence filled the air.

Riverpaw's blue eyes glowed with excitement at the thought of having a new mentor. The other apprentices skirted away from her, except for Echopaw and Frozenpaw.

"Sorreltail, you have not yet mentored an apprentice yet you have moons of experience as a warrior," Stormstar began. Sorreltail's amber eyes widened in both shock and pride when her name was announced. "As such I expect you to pass on what you have learned to Riverpaw."

The two cats touched noses. Riverpaw's tail was curled in contentment as she was whisked back to the apprentice's den.

At last the ceremony and meetings were over. Now the Clan could sit vigil over Aspenpaw's body and think of what Ashfur had done. Stormstar was thankful to have saved Echopaw and Frozenpaw from their treacherous father. But something told her that this was only the beginning of something much worse.

_And the Clans are going to pay for taking in the rogues_, Stormstar thought sadly.


End file.
